The integration of drone technology in mining operations has significantly transformed the industry by enhancing safety, efficiency, and data accuracy. Drones, equipped with advanced sensors and imaging capabilities, are now pivotal in various mining applications, including surveying, mapping, and monitoring.
What Is a mine drone?
Designed especially for or adapted for mining uses, a mine drone is a drone used in stockpile measurement, surveying, mapping, and inspection including ultrasonic thickness measurement.
Mining is a risky job because working circumstances can change quickly. Both deep and surface mining will pose unique problems and risks.
Mine drones can be used to gather data in places where people are not permitted to go, but they won’t completely remove all of the risks connected to conventional mining methods. The ability of mine drones to fly without GPS, which is not available in many mining locations, is a crucial feature that sets them apart from ordinary consumer drones. Drone technology has been rapidly embraced by the mining sector because it can enhance data collecting, boost safety, and lower operating costs.
What drones can be used for?
In mining, drones can be used to carry out several activities such as:
Volumetric monitoring
The technique of determining how much material remains in a stockpile of overburden, ore, or other mining materials is known as volumetric measuring. Accurate volume reports are difficult to obtain using manual methods because of the sheer magnitude of stockpiles.
Nevertheless, the incorporation of a mine drone enables rapid deployment with affordable and trustworthy volume data. It is economical and contributes to the reduction of needless waste to monitor changes in stockpiles.
Mine drone data can be analysed and shown to produce a 3D model using sophisticated volume measurement software. The volume between the base layer and the surface is the basis for the calculations made by the algorithms underlying these apps. Both laser scans using a LiDAR sensor carried by the drone or photographs (measured using photogrammetry) can provide the data necessary for these computations.
Additionally, mining drones can estimate the amount of backfill required to fill a stope and track the amount of material that has been extracted from a specific region. It becomes simpler to analyse data and observe changes over time when more 3D models are acquired.
Identifying hazards
Even the greatest tools and miners face challenges from collapsing rocks, gas leaks, dust explosions, chemical wastes, and underground surroundings.
By eliminating humans from the inspection process, surveyors lower these dangers in mining by utilising Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Remote monitoring lowers operating costs, saves time, and increases on-site safety.
Stockpiles provide sloped terrain during surface mining, necessitating ongoing stability monitoring. In order to keep everyone safe and maintain optimal mining operations efficiency, mine crews can use this data to identify early warning indicators of instability and take appropriate action.
Drilling and blasting assessment
Mine drone data is used to create 3D models, which are a cost-effective technology with a variety of applications. A model might be made as a historical record check to examine the work’s aftereffects prior to drilling and blasting starting.
Miners can now make data-driven decisions regarding future drilling and blasting threats thanks to an improved version of the model. As a remote safety check, it can also assess the effectiveness of specific blasting methods and provide situational awareness prior to people entering a location.
Mine monitoring and planning
A mine consists of numerous moving components requiring systematic analysis and adjustments to achieve maximum efficiency and safety.
Mining drones are highly effective in the following areas:
- Haulage road design. These roads are responsible for the transportation of mining materials from the worksite. The heavy traffic and equipment mean road conditions need to be assessed constantly. The data collected is also helpful in determining if improvements need to be made to the site infrastructure.
- Equipment inspections. Keeping conveyor belts, crushers, grinding mills, and other vital components of the mine operation is crucial for low operating expenses and increased worker safety. Remote visual inspections via mining drones are a low-cost and safe tool for preventive maintenance. Some equipment, such as conveyor belts, can be visually inspected without disturbing the operation or production.
- Worksite security. Security drones are becoming increasingly popular because of their quick deployment and the ability to cover a large area at record speed. The hazardous conditions at quarries, aggregate, and underground mines make mine drones excellent for protecting your investment. Having an aerial view is also helpful with coordination with emergency services if they are on the scene.
- Environmental monitoring. Mining drones are a powerful tool in mitigating the environmental impacts associated with mining. For example, tailing dams at worksites hold hazardous chemicals. In the event these become unconfined, the effects could be devastating. Mine drones can monitor the stability of the dams to prevent leaks or runoff from the site.
Processing plant inspections
Drones are used in on-site mining processing plants to inspect machinery. The benefit here is that drones can collect this data without stopping processing operations, keeping mining operations profitable.
Examples of applications in processing plant inspections that can be completed with mine drones include:
- Feeders and Chuts – checking the wear plats, nuts, bolts, and joints
- Detecting cracks in machinery welds
- Ultrasonic thickness measurements on tanks
- The temperature of conveyor belt rolls
- Comparing start and finished product volumes
What are the challenges of using drones in mining?
Cost Considerations of Using Drones in Mining
The cost of commercial and industrial drones is higher than that of hobbyist models; high-end models can cost anywhere from $1000 to over $20,000.
It can be challenging to account for high upfront expenses, particularly when budgets are limited. However, drones are becoming a more alluring choice for businesses due to labour savings and increased productivity.
Companies can benefit greatly from drones because they eliminate the need for historically expensive equipment like helicopters for surveying, and although a fleet of drones may require a large initial capital investment, savings can be realised quickly.
Technical Limitations of Drones
Some technical restrictions still exist despite advancements in sensor technology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other crucial elements of contemporary drones.
Drones used in mining may have limited operational effectiveness due to factors including flight time, range, cargo capacity, and battery life. Additionally, it can be difficult to integrate drones with outdated systems and other equipment. However, these obstacles can be solved by technical innovation.
For example, hybrid power systems are more appealing to mining businesses because they can overcome battery restrictions. Innovation produces increasingly powerful drone systems that can be used for project-critical tasks, just like any other technology.
Safety and Security
Inappropriate use of drones by untrained personnel might make them dangerous. They might endanger both air travel and the limited confines used by miners beneath. GPS positioning, cameras, and sensors can reduce the chance of collisions, and following local regulations can prevent more serious issues.
Cybersecurity is another major issue facing the drone business as a whole. If strong security measures are not put in place, drones could be compromised and taken over. This may result in the loss of private information and, in the worst case scenario, may open a backdoor into vital systems, interfering with mining operations and endangering human life.
The importance of cybersecurity has increased to the point where, last year, the US government restricted a major manufacturer’s drone exports due to concerns about foreign policy and national security. Concerns regarding GPS spoofing, downlink intercepts, and data exploitation are quickly growing in the context of drones.
References and Further Reading
https://www.flyability.com/blog/mine-drone
GlobalData Thematic Intelligence (2021) Drones in Mining: Regulatory Trends [Online] mining-technology.com. Available at: https://www.mining-technology.com/comment/drones-mining-regulatory-trends
Robotics Biz (2021) Drones In Underground Mines – Challenges And Potential Solutions [Online] roboticsbiz.com. Available at: https://roboticsbiz.com/drones-in-underground-mines-challenges-and-potential-solutions
Arampatzis, A. (2022) Cybersecurity and Drones: How to Address the Security Threats [Online] tripwire.com. Available at: https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/cybersecurity-and-drones-how-to-address-the-security-threats
