simultaneous localisation and mapping Archives

Global geospatial mapping specialist, GeoSLAM, has expanded its mining offering, building on its reputation in the sector to provide advanced underground mining solutions for production progress mapping, convergence analysis and vertical mine shaft inspection monitoring.

The news follows the unveiling of its automated processing platform, GeoSLAM Connect, which provides users with the flexibility to process their data to exact specifications through a series of interactive customisable script-based workflows. Many features of Connect are particularly useful for the mining sector, including the automatic georeferencing, the company said.

Underpinned by the software, and backed by the company’s expertise in the mining sector, the new innovations will sit alongside the existing solutions already available and in-use across the globe, including GeoSLAM Volumes for stockpile volumetric calculations.

CEO and Founder of GeoSLAM, Graham Hunter, explains: “We’ve worked in the mining sector for a number of years, alongside the industry’s major worldwide players to understand their needs and challenges so I’m delighted to announce our latest offering, supported by our state-of-the-art Connect software, that will continue to bolster our mining offering.

“Our aim is to help mine owners and workers overcome the number of hurdles they face in their day-to-day occupations; improving accessibility to ensure worker safety, speeding up operations and giving mining teams foresight into the changing underground environment by delivering precise and real-time data, as well as keeping costs to a minimum while producing maximum output and driving revenue.”

He added: “These innovations are designed to be operated using our existing ZEB family of scanners and, best of all, the ease of use means they can be used without any prior training. In just a matter of minutes, with no interruption to the mining teams, mine owners can have reliable and accurate data at their fingertips, saving both time and money in what is an already demanding sector.”

The first of its new applications is GeoSLAM Production Progress Mapping – which, when coupled with a ZEB scanner and its own internal co-ordinate system, allows operators the flexibility to make short-term operational decisions on newly-mined production areas in quick time in a ‘mining-to-plan’ process, the company said. Once the data from each scan has been automatically processed and georeferenced using GeoSLAM Connect, it can be uploaded to any compatible third-party software. Operators will be able to overlap collected data and precisely visualise changes of an area over time to compare with project plans – giving mine owners the freedom to analyse, make real-time decisions and avoid production hold-ups.

“Mining has long been viewed as a hazardous occupation, but digital technologies like GeoSLAM’s new Convergence Analysis, however, are reshaping this outlook by providing mine owners with a rapid and cost-effective way to understand the environment while keeping miners safe,” the company said.

Using GeoSLAM’s unique SLAM (simultaneous localisation and mapping) algorithm to create clear 3D visualisations, mine operators will be able to quickly measure rock support – including detecting failure points, the velocity of change, potential slope and areas of displacement – all while remaining at a safe distance, and without the need to disrupt crews, due to the speed of capture.

Completing the trio is GeoSLAM’s purpose-built shaft inspection cradle, built for collecting data during inspections and analysing change. From above ground, it allows users to understand the erosion of a shaft wall, view blockages and identify hanging points for ore in hard-to-reach and dangerous vertical shafts.

Issued as standard with each ZEB sale, its support package, GeoSLAM Care, offers mining customers unlimited access to hardware and remote software support, the latest software releases and access to GeoSLAM Academy; a portal of resources for customers to use including user training, videos and best practice information.

Emesent says it has announced a major breakthrough in the journey to fully autonomous drone flight systems, with the launch of Autonomy Level 2 (AL2) for Hovermap, the world’s first plug-and-play payload for industrial drones that provides autonomous beyond line of sight, GPS-denied flight.

Building on Emesent’s Hovermap simultaneous localisation and mapping autonomous (SLAM) flight system, AL2 enables compatible drones to fly beyond communications range and venture beyond line of sight into unmapped areas, it says.

“The AL2 technology enables companies to rapidly map, navigate, and collect data in challenging inaccessible environments such as mines, civil construction works, telecommunications infrastructure, and disaster response environments,” Emesent said.

Andrew Rouse, Chief Technology Officer at PYBAR Mining Services, a user of the Hovermap payload, said: “AL2 is a game changer for us. It takes Hovermap into places that even the most experienced pilots would fear to venture, enabling us to obtain critical data in real time without risking the machine. We’re already seeing great benefits to our workflow and operational efficiency from using the new technology.”

PYBAR has previously collaborated with Emesent to test automated drones at the Dargues and Woodlawn operations, in Australia.

Emesent’s technology builds on a decade of award-winning research by CSIRO’s Robotics and Autonomous Systems group into drone autonomy and 3D LiDAR-based SLAM techniques.

Customers around the world have been using Hovermap’s Autonomy Level 1 capability for almost two years, safely mapping challenging GPS-denied areas within line of sight. Moving to AL2 means the drone can self-navigate and avoid obstacles beyond line of sight, while being operated from take-off to landing from a safe distance, the company explained.

The system processes data on-board in real time to stream a 3D map of the environment back to the operator’s tablet, providing instant and detailed insights into the surrounding area, as well as any potential hazards. The entire mission from take-off to landing is conducted by interacting with the live view 3D map, allowing stopes to be mapped with just a few taps, Emesent claims.

AL2, according to Emesent, will give industrial customers:

Improved safety, with the ability to fly beyond line of sight keeping workers away from hazardous environments and better data insights informing how to make mines and other environments safer;
Cost optimisation, as it is quicker to scan environments and the technology requires less skill to operate;
Reduced downtime, with the drone able to quickly and easily map inaccessible underground excavations, with minimal disruption to production;
Enhanced visibility into environments, with real-time point clouds delivered directly to the pilot’s tablet, enabling them to interact with and explore the scan data as they operate the aircraft; and
Ease of operation due to its “Tap-to-Fly” and “Guided Exploration” functionalities, and various fail safes, including automatic return to home on low battery and automatic landing at critical battery level.

AL2 is currently compatible with several DJI Enterprise drones including the new DJI Matrice 300 RTK, according to Emesent.

“Emesent has worked closely with DJI to ensure close compatibility and integration of autonomous functionality such as AL2 with the drone’s flight controls,” it said. “Further compatibility with other drone models is planned following the launch.”

Dr Stefan Hrabar, CEO and co-Founder of Emesent, said: “This is a huge step forward for drone autonomy and a massive benefit to industries like mining, civil construction, and emergency response.

“With the intelligence to navigate environments without a prior map, customers can use the system to carry out complex missions, secure the safety of personnel, and drive greater efficiency in their operations.”

GeoSLAM expands geospatial mapping solutions to underground mining sector

Emesent takes drone autonomy to another level with AL2