Technology & equipment
above The view from
Offering improved speed and precision while reducing the health and safety risk to personnel, particularly when high terrain or cliffs are involved, many mining sites are turning to drones when surveying and mapping mineral landscapes. Andrew Barnett speaks to Dr Stefan Hrabar, CEO and co-founder of Emesent, about this technology.
T
ransport automation and the augmentation of mobile phones are driving a new generation of technology that’s poised to transform mining operations and safety conditions, both above the surface and deep underground.
A cornerstone of these developments is lighter and more capable light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensors – devices that can calculate the distance to a surface or object using packets of reflected light. When coupled with drones, they provide impressive three-dimensional mapping capabilities in difficult terrain. Add autonomy into the mix and LIDAR-
World Mining Frontiers /
www.nsenergybusiness.com
equipped drones have the potential to drastically improve safety and contribute to detailed geotechnical surveying across the mining sector. Dr Stefan Hrabar is CEO and co-founder of Emesent, the Australian tech company behind Hovermap, a product that integrates LIDAR sensors with mapping and autonomous technology that interfaces with drones. The company began life as a spin-off from Data61, the digital and data arm of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), an Australian governmental agency responsible for scientific research.
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Emesent
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