business
The future
Van Niekerk also touched on areas that are being investigated for future use . “ We ’ re investigating a way to mark out blast points by inputting your survey data into your drone , which can then mark the ground for accuracy when drilling holes , because if holes can be drilled in exact spots , it improves the predictability and the performance of the explosives .
“ Then there is high-speed filming , which is also an extremely valuable tool when it comes to blast optimisation . We use it to measure rock response to energy and calculate the optimised timing for the electronic detonators — with millisecond accuracy — to move that rock optimally and give the best fragmentation . The problem is that on a mine it ’ s not always possible to stand at the correct spot to film it , and this is another area where a drone could add a tremendous amount of value by allowing us to film every time .”
The accuracy , cost , and safety implications of using drone technology are massive . And as the technology continues to improve , and more technologies become available , the application of drones in the geological and mining industries will keep expanding . n
Robyn Grimsley
A drone using thermal imaging technology on display at Drone Con 2017 .
Sources
PwC . 2016 . Clarity from above : PwC global report on the commercial applications of drone technology .
Airobotics
The use of drones in opencast mining has a lot of potential . These are some of the possible applications that can be integrated into a mining operation .
16 _ QUARRY SA | SEPTEMBER 2017