COVER STORY
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UNDERGROUND INSIGHTS
Visual inspections of underground mines are known to be risky, time- consuming, and expensive – but drones prove they do not have to be. By Siobhan Doyle
W
ith the world’s population rising, coupled with increasing demand in resources, the mining
industry is under pressure to supply more minerals to meet such needs and expectations. This has resulted in mining operators extracting these minerals from greater depths. But delving deep underground to
mine comes with its many challenges: the deeper the mine, the more adverse
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the environment and the larger risk of rock fracturing, prompting companies to provide solutions to keep miners safe. To put an end to hazardous
inspections traditionally carried out by miners, Swiss company Flyability have developed drones that can remotely inspect, survey and map inaccessible areas from a safe distance, providing underground insights that have not been possible before.
THE ELIOS 3 With its small form factor, Flyability’s flagship drone, the Elios 3, and its accompanying surveying payload, can fit through openings as small as 50x50cm. It has a fixed cage that physically protects the hardware and a patented combination of flight controller and motor design that allows the drone to recover flight stability after a collision. This enables the drone to navigate through the most complex
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