Chief surveyors across the mining industry are increasingly relying on mobile Simultaneous Localization and Mapping ( SLAM ) capture devices and autonomous solutions to efficiently and transparently keep track of underground workings , explains Trevor Olson , Business Development Representative for Exyn Technologies .

Given the importance of mining and the inherent dangers and challenges involved in the work , it ’ s no surprise the industry has embraced drones and other autonomous systems . The ability to travel deep into dark and dangerous mines to extract resources , collect vast amounts of data and keep workers safe has made drones a central component of today ’ s industry .

How autonomous drones are used in mining today

The mining sector has come very far , very fast from the images of workers with shovels and picks , toiling away for endless hours in cramped filthy shafts . Advances in how mines are designed , in regulations for the modern age , in the protective equipment worn by miners , and in lighting and transportation systems have made mines safer , more efficient and more productive .

In recent years , drones have been a critical part of that modernisation . That ’ s because drones can travel into areas that are too dangerous for human miners or beyond their reach . Equipped with sophisticated cameras and sensors and armed with the technology that enables them to travel into GPS-denied environments and collect valuable data , drones are dramatically changing the way mining is carried out .

Adding to their versatility , payloads like the Nexys from Exyn Technologies can be detached from a robot airframe and mounted to a vehicle to further map underground workings for convergence monitoring and updating old legacy maps . As a result , mining firms are increasingly turning to drones . According to the Global Data 2022 Mine-Site Survey , 70 % of large mining companies have started using drones since 2016 , with safety , mapping accuracy , cost savings and efficiencies all behind this increasing uptake .

Autonomous drone uncovers ROI with a single flight

Dundee Precious Metals ( DPM ) is known for being technology-forward and always on the lookout for innovative solutions to enhance the safety and efficiency of its underground operations . The traditional methods of collecting geospatial data in an underground mine are not only time-consuming but also limited in terms of the amount and accuracy of data they can gather . Additionally , there are areas in the mine that are difficult or impossible to access with existing technology , which limits the company ’ s ability to make fully informed decisions and introduces possible inefficiencies .

As a long-time technology partner of Exyn , DPM was keen to test the new Nexys – a modular 3D mapping solution with integrated aerial robotic autonomy – designed to reduce time to capture , increase safety and drive efficiency for challenging , complex or dangerous environments .

Using the Exyn Nexys allows DPM to collect geospatial data from the underground mine workings in the safest and most modern manner possible . Safety is its highest priority , and this is one of the main benefits the team report from using the system .

The system enables surveyors to safely reach and scan areas that were previously inaccessible , allowing them to make more informed decisions across different mining processes . Tsvetan Balov , Senior Drilling and

Blasting ( D & B ) Engineer , notes : “ Using the Nexys to autonomously scan the stopes gives us greater accuracy . This greater accuracy helps us to more precisely design adjacent stopes or , in the case of blasting issues , to design additional blast holes .”

One notable example of the benefits of using the Exyn Nexys system for geospatial mapping in an underground mine is a recent stope with only one access point and a very complicated shape . Due to its complexity , conventional methods were unable to perform a detailed scan of the void . Traditionally , this void would be classified as complete as all the ore would have appeared to be mined and recovered . However , when the team deployed the Exyn Nexys , they discovered a section of the stope that had not been mined , commonly referred to as an underbreak .

Deviations between 5-7 % are typical and expected with traditional techniques , however with more complete data , exact deviations can be measured for each and every cavity leading to more informed , complete and efficient mining practices , reducing situations where money is being left on the table . DPM has found 10-15 % of its stopes have additional ore that is discovered when the stope is completely scanned with the Exyn solution . With approximately 60 stopes mined annually , the value of the additional ore quickly adds up .

Since adopting the Nexys system , the survey team has significantly increased the number of scans conducted on production stopes . One of the key reasons for this increase is the userfriendly nature of the system . Typically , for a stope with an average lifecycle of 30 days , five to six scans are conducted . This frequency allows them to gather very detailed information throughout the stope ’ s lifecycle , making it easy for the team to make informed , data-driven decisions to optimise the mining processes .

According to Hristo Dobrev , Senior Mine Surveyor , “ The ability to use it in different configurations , such as a handheld scanner , vehicle-mounted device and scanning drone , makes it practical and easy to use . It saves the team time and effort , with the final result delivering high quality , actionable data .”

To learn more about how autonomous robots are being used across the mining industry and delivering a return on investment – sometimes even within a single stope flight – visit our website at exyn . com

Contact Details : Trevor Olson , BD , Exyn Technologies Phone : + 1 ( 215 ) 999 0200 Email : tolson @ exyntechnologies . com Website : https :// www . exyn . com

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