INNOVATION November-December 2017

All UAV operators, both professional and recreational, have a duty to understand and follow all regulations and operate in a safe and respectful manner. With improvements in onboard GPS technology and data processing software, many mines and surface construction projects have added UAVs to their survey toolbox. As sensors, firmware, and computing capacity improves, autonomous UAVs capable of executing pre-programmed missions while reacting in real-time to changes in the environment will be reaching the general market soon. With the opening of the Foremost Centre for Unmanned Systems and its UAV test range in Alberta, It is encouraging to see Canada participating in this research. j Ryan Preston, P.Eng. M.Sc., is a geological engineer with Golder Associates, registered in BC and Alberta. He worked to establish Golder BC’s current UAV program in 2016 and builds and pilots UAVs for work and pleasure, including Golder’s current underground-specific UAV.

remediation project that were within the occluded area of cavity monitoring system surveys. The onboard lighting of the unit allowed for images taken from the onboard camera to be used to generate 3D models using photogrammetry software. Another unit fitted with a thermal imager was used in 2017 to check for water inflows on the far side of a 50-metre long chamber outside of normal view. Flights in underground mines have generally been 40 to 50 metres long and taken only a few minutes. CONCLUSION UAVs are a powerful tool for engineering and geoscience professionals with applications across industries ranging from stakeholder engagement to complex surveying and inspection tasks. The low cost and constant improvements are resulting in increased use on projects as the barrier to entry is continually lowered. Perhaps the most challenging aspect of deploying UAVs is ensuring that the operation is conducted safely and legally.

the aid of collision avoidance and/or robust propeller guards. Units are now available with 360-degree ultrasonic sensors for collision avoidance, and one company produces a unit with protected propellers that can also land and roll along the drift to limit the risk of crashing. LiDAR units are also being used both for mapping and collision avoidance on select, highly specialized units. The issue of intervening rocks blocking video and control link radio signals is an ongoing one that can be addressed partly by adjusting the strength and frequency of the radio signals. The more likely alternative as technology improves will be autonomous units that can be sent on pre-programmed exploration missions without user input between launch and landing. Consulting engineering firm Golder Associates has used UAVs underground since 2016 when a custom-built unit was used to investigate potential connections between stopes at an underground mine

S I NG L E TON U RQU H A RT

Clearing the Path to Success

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