Not just pictures

Among the most widespread uses of drones is capturing unprecedented images at large events (such as concerts, weddings, and sports events).

However, they are used in several markets. Drones have widespread applications in monitoring borders and perimeters of interest. Recently, its use as a delivery device has been going through tests.

However, drones contribute to process improvement if we refer to the industrial world. Adopting these technologies is creating significant changes in most industrial business models. Drones contribute to improving work safety conditions, can reduce hidden operating costs, offer real-time data capture and increase productivity, among others.

Beyond prospecting

The use of drones has allowed different segments to join the technological boom in automation, as is the case of Mining, an industry with multiple processes throughout its production chain that can benefit from the advantages of precision and efficiency that drones can offer.

In its beginnings, data capture through drones was used as a complement in surveys during the exploration and prospecting stage of Mining. 

Through drones, photogrammetric studies were carried out to generate orthomosaics (a large continuous image made up of small mosaics).

They can also offer georeferenced pictures that provide exact information about the ground and its surroundings.

Drones meant enormous benefits for the segment since large areas began to be covered in a short time, guaranteeing quality and precision.

New sensors, broader possibilities

UAV’s gained space within mining operations; therefore, new sensors were incorporated.

For example, LiDAR allows measuring the distance from the emitter (sensor) to an object or surface through a laser; or Multispectral cameras, which would enable observing radiations beyond RGB.

These sensors have managed to take technology to the next level in data collection. We can now quickly generate 3D models of a mine and determine the precise geochemical structure of the soil. With these advances, smart Mining has emerged as a real possibility.

The latest software and the linking of these with the use of high-end sensors and drones achieved automation that allows inventory calculations in real-time through detailed volumetric and geometric 3D data.

This data can also detect large debris after explosives or anomalies that may cause possible operation-related incidents.

All these innovations are making Mining an increasingly autonomous process in various aspects.

Aerial Data can mitigate risks, improve data-based decision making and determine behavior patterns of the mine in real-time.

However, there are still various assets within the mining value chain in which monitoring continues to be carried out in a more rudimentary manner. There is room for UAVs to significantly improved mine operations.

“Drones make it possible to observe the behavior of the mine in real time”

Future Applications in Mining

A question remains: will it be possible for the use of the same drone to monitor all the operating values ​​mentioned above in a single flight?

Could a single drone perform a real-time inspection of tailings, check the integrity of long pipelines and the safety of mining trucks, and concentrate data in easy-to-use software?

It is the industry’s dream. It will shorten working hours and increase the speed of response to any emergency.

There is still a lack of progress in the use of hybrid drones. Some combine the virtues of multi-rotor drones (maneuverability) and fixed-wing drones (long range), allowing extensive inspections and collecting data that can later control the mine’s production, guaranteeing the integrity of assets.

An example of an application that would benefit from hybrid drones is the management of tailings canals, which do not have adequate infrastructure to control the flow once the rainy season begins. Due to their long extension, monitoring through conventional multirotor drones becomes more and more complicated. 

Hybrid technologies are the next step. If a drone could cover small areas and the entire mine in a single flight, benefits for the mine’s efficiency goals would be significant.

As we have seen over time, the growth and development of drone technology and data analysis software allow us to obtain values ​​more frequently and accurately. The bet is to continue developing this technology, getting closer every day to maximizing the concept of “digital mining.”