[cr0sh]

A possibly similar tale is the one being done by some former Kentucky coal miners:

http://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/fossil-fuels/the-...

[Barrin92]

Here's a longer great Wired article about (I think) the same group of coders

https://www.wired.com/2015/11/can-you-teach-a-coal-miner-to-...

[phlakaton]

Another similar group I've been following with great interest, in part since I remember the founders from Strange Loop and Overtone hackery:

http://www.minedminds.org