How drones are being used in the mining industry

How drones are being used in the mining industry

Over 70% of mining enterprises worldwide have implemented drone technology into their mining sites. Mining operations present hazardous & dangerous environments for crew in addition to inefficiencies that make drones a viable solution.

Recent improvements in drone and sensor technologies in conjunction to evolving governmental regulations to support commercial drone applications, is expected to spur further adoption. 

Challenges:

  • Mining pits can be dangerous to ground crew performing traditional surveying methods, furthermore this method can be disruptive to other mining activities.
  • The progressive nature of mining requires frequent monitoring and surveying with manned aircraft that can cost companies millions per year. 
  • Inadequate point-density data from ground survey methods means less useful data  

Solutions:

  • Safety & Efficiency: Drone remote sensing technology eliminates the need of sending in ground crew and can be conducted with minimal to no disruptions to mining operations.
  • Active monitoring: flight automation enables organizations to collect quality data on a regular interval at minimal costs. 
  • Quality data: drone and sensor technology enables organizations to acquire accurate data.
  • Dense point-clouds from Drone and LiDAR systems enables operators to extract valuable information such as volumetric & stockpile calculations, 3D modelling 

 One of the biggest hurdles that companies face when attempting to adopt drone technology is the learning curve and often confusing regulations. We provide our clients with end-to-end solutions to help them get jump started and confidently using drone technology. 

Our clients have relied on us to get the right equipment, training and support, which has resulted in countless successfully integration of UAV and sensor technologies into mining operations that has increased safety and efficiency, ultimately reducing costs.