Mine Vision Systems

About Mine Vision Systems

Mine Vision Systems (MVS) provides advanced perception solutions for the global mining industry, focusing on underground operations. The company spun out of Carnegie Mellon University's National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC) in 2015, building on intellectual property development that began as early as 2007 with funding from Gold Fields. This initial work focused on creating a SLAM-based vision navigation system for an underground mining robot.

Based in Pittsburgh, MVS develops and commercializes technology that digitizes underground environments to enhance safety, efficiency, and productivity. The firm operates by providing its technology solutions to global mining companies, generating revenue through product sales, recurring revenue from its systems, and strategic partnerships. After its founding with initial funds from Gold Fields, Rockwell Venture Capital became the lead investor in 2016. A significant later-stage VC funding round in July 2025 raised $11.5 million to expand its engineering and go-to-market teams.

The company's flagship product, FaceCapture, launched in 2023 after strategic collaborations with mining giants like Hecla and Nevada Gold. FaceCapture is a lightweight, mobile system that combines image, spatial, and location data to create precise, real-time 3D maps of the mine face. This allows geologists and engineers to make faster, more informed decisions regarding blast planning, ore characterization, and ground support, significantly reducing their exposure time in potentially unsupported areas. The system is designed for ease of use, eliminating post-processing by automating geospatial alignment and integrating directly with existing mine planning software packages like Datamine, Deswik, and Leapfrog.

MVS serves major mining operators across North America and is expanding globally through reseller partnerships in markets like Mexico and Australia. The company's customer-centric approach was refined through over 50 consulting projects with 24 mining companies between 2018 and 2021, which helped shape the development of its core products. Most clients reportedly see a seven-figure impact within the first year of deployment. The leadership team, including CEO Mike Smocer, combines expertise from robotics, automation, and crucially, geology and mining engineering, ensuring the technology is tailored to solve specific, real-world problems in the GPS-denied underground environment.