Universal Field Robots, in partnership with IMDEX Ltd, has won the Greyhound Innovation (METS) Award at this year’s Queensland Mining Awards.
The business joined nine other technology and services companies with innovative industry solutions such as Industrial Internet of Things condition monitoring, autonomous industrial drone mapping, and a global online crowdsourcing competition for diverse site access solutions.
Universal Field Robots (UFR) joined forces with global sub-surface intelligence solutions leader IMDEX on a collaborative project that combines UFR’s E20C 2-ton robotic platform that operates UFR Autonomy (called AutoLog), and IMDEX’s downhole sensor technology to deliver IMDEX BLASTDOG, a semi-autonomous system that helps optimise blasting based on measuring hole physicals and high-resolution three-dimensional material models built from sensor data.
To perform the sensing, UFR AutoLog drives on the mining bench to hole locations as provided by the IMDEX system derived from mine data.
It uses robotic vision to check the hole location and then lowers the IMDEX sensor down the blasthole.
The valuable data is sent to IMDEXHUB-IQ system in the cloud in real-time to be used by mining engineers to make changes to blast design.
The improved blast design can lower the cost of blasting, improve fragmentation, and reduce the dilution of ore to improve mining outcomes. UFR AutoLog and IMDEX BLASTDOG move people out of a dangerous zone to improve safety, increase productivity and reduce risk.
The IMDEX BLASTDOG solution moved from concept to prototype in just four months, providing geological data and enhancing productivity.
The premier bi-annual Queensland Mining Awards celebrate the spirit of innovation, excellence and collaboration fostered within a highly competitive industry.
All companies involved in Queensland’s minerals and energy resources sector, from mining companies right through to contractors and suppliers, were invited to enter the Awards and gain recognition for their hard work and entrepreneurial spirit.
The 2020 Queensland Mining Awards were presented by the Bowen Basin Mining Club (BBMC), in partnership with the Queensland Resources Council.
