TUCSON, AZ, Sep 9, 2026 – Hexagon has launched its Vehicle Intervention System (VIS) globally for surface mining operations. VIS can automatically take control of a machine in high-risk situations when safety thresholds are breached.
The system is classified as an EMESRT (Earthmoving Equipment Safety Round Table) Level 9 vehicle intervention system. It is the first open-pit Level 9 solution to complete the University of Pretoria‘s Technology Readiness Level 4 (TRL4) validation program.
Built on Hexagon’s Collision Avoidance System (CAS), VIS provides a layer of intervention when advisory controls are insufficient. The system can inhibit propulsion, apply retardation or braking, enforce safe following distances, manage overspeed conditions, including on ramps, and bring a vehicle to a safe state if a critical system fault is detected.
Key capabilities include:
- Collision prevention: Intervenes to help prevent vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-person, and vehicle-to-obstacle collisions
- Rule enforcement: Enforces speed limits and following-distance requirements
- Fail-safe protection: Monitors system health and places vehicles in a safe state if a fault is detected
- OEM flexibility: Supports a range of vehicle types and manufacturers without OEM lock-in
“Surface mining operators continue to face complex safety challenges in dynamic environments where visibility, fatigue, environmental conditions, and human factors can contribute to risk,” said Dave Goddard, president, Hexagon’s mining division.
“When milliseconds matter, mines need technology that can act decisively. The next generation of VIS builds on years of operational experience and proven deployments to provide the highest level of intervention available, helping customers protect people, equipment, and productivity.”
VIS has been deployed in production environments since 2018 and supported mining operations across four continents. It is part of Hexagon’s safety portfolio, which combines collision avoidance, vehicle intervention, 4D radar sensing, operator awareness, and safety analytics.
Source: Hexagon
About Hexagon
Hexagon AB is a Swedish industrial technology company based in Stockholm, Sweden. The company traces its origins to Eken Industri och Handel AB, founded in Stockholm in 1975. Hexagon supplies measurement, positioning, sensing, and software products for industrial and public-sector users. Its products include sensors, coordinate measuring machines, laser scanners, positioning systems, CAD/CAM software, geospatial tools, asset lifecycle systems, and autonomous technologies. The company serves customers in manufacturing, construction, aerospace, agriculture, mining, public safety, infrastructure, and mobility. Engineers, surveyors, manufacturers, asset owners, governments, and industrial operators use its products. Hexagon reported about 24,500 employees in 50 countries.
