COMMENT
Rise of the drone
Modernisation is a word increasingly being used in the mining and quarrying circles. Long and intricate definitions and explanations about the actual meaning thereof abound. Nevertheless, whether it refers to mechanisation, automation, the internet of things, or new technologies, the fact remains that quarries and mines will be operated very differently in 10 years’ time compared to how they are managed today. There is bound to be ample game changers and interrupters along the way. Yet, according to most futurists, the technology that will have the most significant impact on the mining and quarrying industries will probably be remotely operated equipment, 3-D printing, and civilian unmanned aerial vehicles( UAV), better known as drones.
Although mining companies in Africa are not yet using drones on the same scale as what operations in countries like the US and Australia are doing, a number of quarries and opencast mines in South Africa have realised the value of these machines. The benefits of using drones in quarries are numerous and they can be deployed to perform a wide variety of tasks. They can be used for( among others) surveying and mapping, inspections, small cargo delivery, aerial photography, and video surveillance. According to Alex Vyazmensky, group geotechnical engineer at Kaz Minerals, drones are quick to deploy and they can be launched, flown and landed by an operator, although their functionality can also be fully automated.
Vyazmensky tells Quarry Southern Africa that the use of drones has grown exponentially across all industries over the past few years. A recent PwC study estimates the potential value of the mining industry services that, in the very near future, can be replaced by drone powered solutions at USD4-billion dollars.
The biggest constraints to using drones in quarries will most likely be a fear of implementing the technology due to cost concerns, ignorance about the drones’ capabilities, and in which applications they will best serve the operation. Even deciding which drone to use might be a challenge. Vyazmensky says a wide selection of commercially accessible drone platforms are available, which can be broadly divided into rotary and fixed wing types. For surface applications, GPS allows accurate drone positioning. Drones can be equipped with photo and video cameras, laser scanners, gas sniffers, hyperspectral, infrared, thermal and many other sensors. Major drone solution providers offer machines pre-equipped with task specific sensors and software packages to operate the drones and interpret the acquired data.
For quarry managers, the most useful application would be the use of drones to carry out airborne video surveillance and spatial data acquisition. The 3-D spatial data can be extracted from a series of digital photos taken by a drone utilising a photogrammetry technique or generated by LiDAR( light detection and ranging) laser scanning surveys. In addition, Vyazmensky says a recent introduction of 360 degree video cameras offers a new and promising avenue in geospatial data acquisition.
New technology like drones will become indispensable for any quarry manager in future. These machines will make life a lot easier, and in the long run the use of drones will have a significant impact on the efficiency of an operation and ultimately on the bottom line. Instead of fearing its introduction, we should be embracing the rise of the drone.
After spending the past three months visiting quarries and interacting with the industry, Robyn Grimsley will take over as editor of Quarry Southern Africa in May. n
Leon Louw- Editor Quarry SA leonl @ interactmedia. co. za
QUARRY SA | JANUARY 2017 _ 1