COVER STORY
environments to capture high resolution scans. “The whole structure and body of
the drone is designed to be as rugged as possible,” says Michael Blake, product manager at Flyability. “We have tested the drone in different types of environments – we even built a sauna in our basement and flew the drone inside for around 150 hours until something failed to test it in really harsh environments.” The drone also has a modular
design which features two ports: one dedicated to a LiDAR scanner and one for auxiliary payloads. This unique integrated design provides aerial capabilities ideal for indoor applications such as underground mining. Blake says the company wanted to create a modular done to “provide the same flexibility to customers” and “guarantees hardware and software updates that are likely to come in the future, making it an easier investment for them”.
A 3D model on showing the Elios 3’s trajectory during a mission
SURVEYING THE INACCESSIBLE Comprehensive data is key to supporting operational decisions in mining, yet many hazardous environments are beyond the reach of existing data capture technologies. Blake, who has previously worked in underground mining, stresses there are a lot of areas where it is unsafe to enter because of rockfall risks, weakness in the structure of the tunnels, lack of visibility and water. “Operators used traditional surveying
methods such as terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) that they would push into these areas to try and get scanned data. But these methods are not sufficient, especially in mining environments, as there are so many areas of danger or they are locked off,” Blake explains. “But mining operators really need to gather critical data from these areas to make decisions.” To tackle this, the team at Flyability
developed a specialised LiDAR payload that comes with its third-generation
drone, the Elios 3. The payload turns the indoor drone into a flying mobile scanner that can fit through openings as small as 50x50cm and create high-resolution scans beyond line of sight. This allows mining operators to collect data in areas not accessible with traditional tools and other UAV technologies.
IMAGING CAPABILITIES The drone from Flyability is powered by a SLAM (Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping) engine called FlyAware which combines computer vision, LiDAR technology and a Nvidia graphic engine. Acting as a centimetre-accurate indoor GPS, it builds real-time 3D maps enabling the drone to sense its surroundings instantaneously. Meanwhile, the drone’s embedded
The surveying payload enables faster data collection and reduced flight times
LiDAR constantly scans its surroundings to build a high-density point cloud map. This map is displayed instantly in Flyability’s Cockpit App, empowering pilots with greater locational awareness. A real-time 3D view of the drone’s trajectory and environment helps mining operators obtain crucial data. Pilots can swap between the visual camera feed or navigating using the 3D point cloud, which is helpful when flying beyond
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