By giving underground operators 3D vision, Emesent is helping to solve a decades-old problem of “working blind”.
Toiling away in the darkness, a load-haul-dump (LHD) machine is among the most critical assets in an underground mine. These multi-million-dollar giants are essential for transporting ore and waste, yet they often operate with a severe handicap: their operators are functionally blind.
“Traditionally, operators have worked with severely limited visibility,” Emesent co-founder and chief strategy officer Dr Stefan Hrabar said, emphasising that operators often rely on a minimal field of view in unlit environments.
While remote control and automation have improved safety, these systems are often hindered by poor visual data. In these deep underground conditions, LHDs and their remote operators have commonly relied on 2D cameras, usually producing grainy, inadequate footage.
With out-of-sight hazards like loose rocks, overlays and unstable ground, the stakes are high.
A single LHD can cost $2–3 million and take years to replace. And should an LHD become damaged or incapacitated, the costs can throw an entire project into jeopardy – production downtime is estimated at $30,000 per hour.
While Emesent’s technology has been quickly embraced by mining companies for mapping hazardous stopes, Emesent has recently partnered with Mining Plus to drive development of an extension to the original solution: Hovermap, This led to the creation of Hovermap LHD, a real-time spatial awareness solution that uses light detection and ranging (LiDAR) to generate a high-fidelity 3D point cloud with a range exceeding 300m.
“We provide comprehensive 360° visibility using point cloud visualisation, even in zero-light conditions,” Emesent’s co-founder and chief strategy officer Stefan Hrabar said. “This allows for fast risk assessment, enabling identification of loose rocks, geotechnical hazards and dangerous rill angles instantly so crews can respond.”
At the heart of the solution is an advanced, simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM)-based LiDAR scanner that captures survey-grade point clouds, whose strengths include its simplicity.
Mounted to the LHD’s cab or bucket using magnetic feet, the operator scans as the equipment moves. Data is automatically transferred via onboard Wi-Fi and the mine’s network. The remote operator then reviews a complete 3D point cloud of the stope on a dedicated tablet.
“Because it doesn’t require specialist training, scans can be performed by non-surveyors at any time, 24–7,” Hrabar said.
This “plug-and-play” operation shatters the old bottleneck.
“What used to take days to scan and assess can now be captured and visualised in just 10 to 20 minutes.”
This process differs significantly from the age-old cavity monitoring system, which could be slow and cumbersome, requiring specialist surveyors who are typically only available during the day, a dependency that can create critical delays.
The Byrnecut success story
Leading global underground mining contractor Byrnecut, partnered with Emesent and Mining Plus to test the solution, aiming to enhance safety and productivity with real-time 3D data.
The results were transformative. Byrnecut crews can now conduct near-real-time stope hazard and volume assessments around the clock.
The 3D scans instantly identify these hazards and others, like oversized material, allowing operators to avoid danger and prevent equipment damage. The enhanced safety protocols also reduce liability.
The financial impact was immediate. In a typical operation, an LHD getting stuck can mean one to two shifts of lost production. Hovermap LHD proved it could pay for itself within two or three hours of downtime prevention. This rapid return on investment (ROI), combined with increased stope turnover, led Byrnecut to expand its use, with Hovermap LHD likely to be implemented in mines in Africa and the Americas.
“No drone. No CMS. Plug in, start, stop, and you have survey-grade scans,” a Byrnecut spokesperson said. “Anyone can do it.”
Hovermap LHD delivers value across the entire mining operation. Engineers gain access to faster survey-grade data, freeing up the survey team. The system is also highly versatile, easily mounted on a backpack, a drone, or a vehicle, or lowered into shafts in a cage.
This flexibility includes autonomous mapping, which removes direct human presence from hazardous areas, expanding its applications throughout the mine.
Mine managers see major safety gains from remote hazard assessment, while the reduction in equipment downtime and faster production turnover creates a strong financial case.
The system is designed to prevent the costly loss of multi-million-dollar LHDs, thereby extending equipment life and optimising energy use.
Emesent’s Hovermap solution is seeing broad adoption well beyond the Byrnecut success. It’s now deployed in over 40 countries, with growing interest in mining and construction.
“At Emesent, we’re pushing the boundaries of automated data collection and analysis in underground environments,” Hrabar said. “I’m proud to be part of this amazing team.”
This article appeared in the Summer edition of Mining Magazine.
