Mining is a famously dangerous profession, but the industry has come a long way. With the advent of drone technology, it is now becoming safer than ever. These top ways that drones are changing the way mining is done show how important it is to have the right products on hand to protect workers and perform tasks more efficiently.
1. Monitoring Sites
Increasingly, drones are used to monitor the conditions of mining sites, particularly deep shafts that are difficult to monitor with human means. Drones can easily detect potentially dangerous conditions such as unstable rock walls, underground flooding, hazardous dust, humidity, and gas leaks. The more thorough and effective this monitoring process, the safer workers are.
2. Inspecting Equipment
Drones can also perform inspections on mining equipment. This highly-specialized equipment requires frequent inspections to make sure that it performs optimally and safely. However, these inspections can be costly and laborious, using up precious time. The task also requires a specially trained workforce that can be difficult to access. Drones perform inspections more easily and cost-effectively without being subject to human error.
3. Automated Mapping
Before mining can happen at any site, it is vital for the site to be surveyed and mapped. This takes a huge amount of time and expense. Using a drone drastically cuts back on the costs of this process (as much as 90 percent) and the time needed for the process. This data collection is also much more detailed, letting drones capture high contrast images and collect more data.
4. Monitoring Stockpiles
Mining as an industry has unique requirements and challenges. The stockpiles of equipment and other substances that are needed on mining sites need to be monitored, especially since their size can affect the surrounding terrain. Drones can effectively streamline this process, taking much of the time, cost, and effort out while maintaining a higher level of accuracy than other methods.
5. Surveying Surrounding Areas
Mining also requires a steady and efficient stream of transport to and from the site. This is so vital that road optimization is constantly monitored to make sure it runs smoothly. Drone technology takes the effort out of this by providing round-the-clock monitoring and data collection.
The Future of Drone Technology in the Mining Industry
Drones are still a comparatively new technology, and it only remains to be seen how they will continue to affect the mining industry. With products like those from SafeSight, mining can become much safer and more cost-effective.
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