Navigating Europe’s deepest underground mine precisely – without GNSS

13 Aug 2025

Hybrid system achieves position accuracy greater than 0.1% of distance traveled in 1.4km deep mine.

Advanced Navigation (AN), based in Pyhäjärvi, Finland, a developer of laser-based navigation and autonomous systems, has demonstrated a breakthrough in underground navigation, achieving precise positioning without reliance on fixed infrastructure or satellite-based GNSS, in Europe’s deepest underground mine in Pyhäjärvi, Finland.

AN’s Hybrid Navigation System, combining a Laser Velocity Sensor (LVS) with the Boreas D90 fiber-optic gyroscope Inertial Navigation System (FOG-INS), has achieved consistent sub-0.1% navigation errors across multiple runs in the mine, without relying on any fixed positioning infrastructure, pre-existing maps, or external aiding.

“Unreliable navigation underground is not a minor technical constraint – it’s a major operational bottleneck,” said Joe Vandecar, Senior Product Manager at Advanced Navigation. “Maintaining precision over a 23 km subterranean course in Europe’s deepest mine demonstrates a level of performance that few systems in the world can rival.”

Navigating the vast subterranean network of the Pyhäsalmi Mine poses significant challenges. Located 1.4 km underground with a 63-degree latitude, the mine is completely impervious to GNSS signals. Its repetitive, multi-level tunnel network creates a high risk of visual disorientation, while its metallic ores distort magnetic fields and scatter radio waves

Scalable alternative

To overcome these conditions, mines typically rely on infrastructure-heavy solutions such as ultra-wideband beacons, Wi-Fi, 5G repeaters, or perception-based techniques such as SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), which require cameras.

AN says switching to a resilient navigation system, with less dependency infrastructure “offers a scalable alternative, enabling reliable navigation even in the most inaccessible or hazardous environments.”

The Hybrid Navigation System is centered on Boreas – a “world-class” FOG-INS, according to AN. Unlike conventional systems, Boreas uses ultra-sensitive FOG technology to detect the Earth’s rotation and determine true North, a process known as gyrocompassing to determine the vehicle’s direction.

To maintain and enhance this accuracy, the INS is fused with AN’s LVS. Using infrared lasers, LVS continuously measures the vehicle’s true 3D velocity relative to the ground. This real-time data is critical for correcting the gradual “drift” that occurs in standalone inertial systems, enabling the Hybrid System to maintain precision over extended distances.

“We were impressed by the results the sensor fusion provided. It’s clear the Laser Velocity Sensor is a major key in providing these outstanding results,” said Magnus Zetterberg, Senior Consultant at Combitech, who observed the demonstration.

‘Step change in underground navigation’

While mines will continue to use fixed infrastructure, this technology significantly reduces dependency, enabling resilient, high-precision navigation in previously inaccessible or unmapped areas. This performance marks a step change in underground navigation, unlocking new potential for fleet management, predictive collision avoidance, material tracking and scalable autonomy across mining operations.

Olli Mylläri, VP Technology at mining solutions provider Normet, added, “Seeing Advanced Navigation’s Hybrid Navigation System deliver consistent positioning with minimal infrastructure deep within the Pyhäsalmi Mine was remarkable. It’s a powerful step forward for automation and safety in the underground space.”

Joe Vandecar, Senior Product Manager at Advanced Navigation, concluded, “Ultimately, this vehicle-based, inertial-centered architecture provides a resilient foundation required for the mining sector to achieve its long-term goal: efficient autonomous ore extraction at depths hostile to human activity.” The Hybrid Navigation System is set for commercial release in late 2025.