Abstract: Dense medium separation, the most widely used coal preparation process, is moving from automation and informatization to intelligence. At present, the intelligent construction of dense medium coal preparation plant only realizes partial intelligent construction. It is deficient in the whole intelligent construction. The intelligent development of the core production equipment (dense medium cyclone and shallow groove) is insufficient. In order to solve the above problems, the research status of intelligent dense medium separation is described from three aspects of intelligent perception, intelligent control and intelligent optimization decision. The challenges faced by dense medium separation in the process of developing from automation to intelligence are analyzed. The challenges include the unstable operation caused by the fluctuation of raw coal quality, the high complexity of dense medium separation, and the limitations of intelligent construction of dense medium coal preparation plant. In order to promote the intelligence and greening of the dense medium separation industry, realize the autonomous control of the whole equipment, reduce the number of operators and even realize unmanned, a system is proposed. It is pointed out that the dense medium coal preparation plant should build a set of intelligent optimization production system with the integration of "intelligent perception, intelligent control and intelligent optimization decision". Intelligent perception, the basis of intelligence, is used to realize the perceptual acquisition of coal preparation process data. Intelligent optimization decision analyzes the operation state of the preparation process in the intelligent control module and adjusts the set value of the process index. Intelligent optimization decision analysis intelligent control module is used to sort process operating state, adjust the process indicators set value, so as to achieve dynamic optimization of the process indicators set value. The mutual coordination of perception, control and decision promotes the improvement of the intelligence level and production efficiency of the coal preparation plant. The coordination provides a new idea for realizing intelligent collaborative optimization control of the whole dense medium separation production process in the future.