As we look ahead to mid-2026, a sense of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is driving the global manufacturing sector in a frantic search for AI solutions. While computing power can be purchased and algorithms can be learned, viable scenarios where AI can be directly implemented and generate continuous value cannot be conjured from thin air. The paramount question is where the real 'goldmine' in the physical AI world will be found. Based on the current pace of development, autonomous driving is clearly the direction where embodied intelligence is achieving the fastest commercial implementation. Within this field, autonomous mining trucks have taken the lead in establishing a complete commercial loop. Their low-speed, enclosed operational environments are inherently conducive to deployment and performance. Moreover, these machines liberate humans from extremely hazardous and labor-intensive work settings, addressing fundamental safety needs. On this promising and lucrative track, some companies have already pioneered the way. Building on their deep understanding of mining scenarios and full-stack capabilities, they are actively expanding their operational scope from transportation to broader production chains like drilling, blasting, excavating, and loading.
At the 2026 Asia Logistics Expo, CIDI-NEW (ASX: 03881), a platform company specializing in autonomous mining trucks, announced its new strategic positioning focused on "heavy-duty embodied intelligence." According to Dr. Hu Sibo, CEO of CIDI-NEW, the company will leverage intelligent technology to endow heavy equipment with autonomous operational capabilities. This move will naturally extend the company's capabilities from the transportation segment to encompass the entire spectrum of mining operations. At the event, the company also unveiled the industry's first V2P (Vehicle-to-Pedestrian) portable smart terminal, TAG. This shift from "transportation" to "operations" represents a strategic expansion from the multi-billion-dollar autonomous mining truck market towards the trillion-dollar potential of the heavy-duty embodied intelligence sector. While capital markets continue to debate the real-world applications and implementation pace of AI, CIDI-NEW is already providing its answer through action.
The Logical Evolution of Strategy
To comprehend why CIDI-NEW has chosen to elevate its long-term strategy, it's essential to first recognize the distance it has already covered in autonomous mining trucks. As of June this year, CIDI-NEW has deployed over 1,700 autonomous mining trucks, establishing the world's largest mixed fleet of unmanned and manned vehicles. Operating in various extreme environments, its autonomous fleet has already passed the test of scale. Data shows that by February 28th, the cumulative mileage of CIDI-NEW's autonomous vehicles exceeded 16 million kilometers, transporting over 140 million tonnes of coal and ore.
A complete mining production chain consists of five main processes: drilling, blasting, excavating, loading, and hauling. Autonomous driving is essentially the first commercially viable application of embodied intelligence. For CIDI-NEW, which possesses full-stack capabilities in algorithms, software, and hardware, it is a logical progression to apply the core robotic technologies and data—such as heavy-load control, perception in extreme conditions, and multi-agent collaborative scheduling—already rigorously tested in heavy-duty hauling to broader operational scenarios like drilling and excavation.
Technological feasibility is the foundation, but the key driver for CIDI-NEW to lead the charge is its recognition of industry pain points and the vast blue-ocean market potential behind them. According to Dr. Hu, autonomous mining trucks cover only about 30% of the mining production chain—the transportation segment. The remaining 60-70% involves the truly high-risk, high-difficulty, and non-standardized core production operations, which ultimately determine a mine's efficiency ceiling and safety baseline. Driven by demand for industry-wide intelligent upgrades, future mine automation will inevitably extend beyond autonomous trucks to encompass fully unmanned operations across the entire process. In this context, CIDI-NEW appears to be the most suitable candidate in the industry to explore the prospects of heavy-duty embodied intelligence.
On one hand, CIDI-NEW has a profound understanding of mining scenarios. Every mine is unique in its geological conditions, climate, and operational workflows. The experience gathered from operating over 1,700 autonomous trucks across diverse conditions—from 5,000-meter-high plateaus to deep underground mines—provides invaluable, real-world insights no laboratory simulation can replicate. Furthermore, as a hard-tech firm committed to full-stack in-house R&D, CIDI-NEW controls the complete technology chain from algorithms to hardware, providing the essential conditions for transferring intelligent technology from wheeled robots to heavy-duty embodied systems.
On the other hand, the trust accumulated through years of collaboration with mining clients provides strong support for the future promotion and scaled deployment of CIDI-NEW's heavy-duty embodied intelligence products. Mining companies have near-zero tolerance for safety and reliability issues, and the journey from testing to full-scale deployment often spans years. Taking key client Taiwan Cement as an example, CIDI-NEW deployed the world's first all-electric autonomous truck project at a mine in Jurong, Jiangsu in 2022. After verifying product reliability, the trust flywheel began to turn, leading to five consecutive reorders from Taiwan Cement, totaling 50 autonomous trucks deployed to date. This pattern of trust built on long-term cooperation will serve as a powerful lever for CIDI-NEW to drive the scaled adoption of its heavy-duty embodied intelligence solutions.
Deepening Physical AI Capabilities Unlocks Long-Term Potential
"Building a silicon-carbon symbiotic industrial ecosystem" is the long-term vision Dr. Hu outlined for CIDI-NEW. Here, "silicon" represents intelligent systems, and "carbon" symbolizes human wisdom, with machines executing tasks defined by humans, fostering co-evolution. Starting from wheeled robots and naturally extending into heavy-duty embodied intelligence, the company aims to empower heavy equipment with autonomous operational capabilities. Supporting this growth trajectory is its consistent "brain" business model: focusing on technological empowerment and being the industry's most trusted technology partner.
Anchored by this goal, CIDI-NEW has constructed a "Heavy-Duty Embodied Intelligence Technology Platform." The foundation is a unified data engine, the middle layer consists of heavy-duty world models, and the top layer is a cluster decision-making and scheduling system. The greatest value of this architecture lies in its generalization capability: one system, adaptable to multiple forms, reusable across different scenarios. Model capabilities honed in mining can be cost-effectively transferred to logistics, infrastructure, and other fields, ensuring technological value is no longer confined to a single application.
Against the backdrop of pervasive FOMO sentiment in global tech and investment circles, CIDI-NEW's foray into heavy-duty embodied intelligence is not merely about creating a second growth curve. It represents a strategic deepening of the company's focus on physical AI. Expanding from hauling to drilling, blasting, excavating, and loading signifies a deepening of capabilities and value extension within the mining production chain. This process will catalyze a qualitative shift in the company's addressable market, transitioning from the multi-billion-dollar autonomous mining truck sector to the trillion-dollar heavy-duty embodied intelligence arena.
Currently, CIDI-NEW's various intelligent products have been deployed at scale in resource extraction and transportation, logistics, large-scale infrastructure, and transportation engineering, with total shipments exceeding 20,000 units. Its product portfolio continues to expand. At the June 24th launch event, the company introduced the industry's first V2P portable smart terminal, TAG. This product extends the safety perimeter from vehicles to personnel, marking the company's achievement of full "human-vehicle-road-cloud" coverage in its smart terminal product and service ecosystem.
The rapid expansion of its partner ecosystem further hints at CIDI-NEW's long-term potential. At the event, the company announced a collaboration with Proton Automotive, a subsidiary of Shaanxi Automobile Group, for integrated autonomous heavy truck solutions, and a partnership with Yunshenchu Technology to jointly develop mining robots. Earlier, CIDI-NEW signed agreements with Sinoma Mine Construction and Sinoma Mining Research Institute, secured an order for 500 autonomous mining trucks from Guangna Group, and subsequently established partnerships with UK-based MMD Group, Schaeffler, IPL, Zoomlion, and others. Its partners now span vehicle manufacturers, mining operators, and multinational equipment giants.
Global expansion is also underway. CIDI-NEW is advancing commercial deployments in resource-rich nations like Australia, Brazil, and Indonesia, with plans to gradually cover markets in Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East in the coming years, aiming to establish a leading position in overseas heavy-duty scenarios.
Final Thoughts
The transition from "transportation" to "operations," from the multi-billion-dollar autonomous mining truck market to the trillion-dollar heavy-duty embodied intelligence track, represents a strategic leap for CIDI-NEW that is the natural culmination of nine years of deep scenario expertise. While capital markets may still be valuing the company within the framework of an "autonomous mining truck company," this tech firm has already set its sights further: leveraging hard-core technology to unlock broader production scenarios within the physical AI world. As its capability boundaries expand and its potential market grows, CIDI-NEW stands out as a "potential stock" worthy of long-term investor attention in today's FOMO-driven capital markets.