Smart Skies, Smarter Mining
How AI and drone technologies will change the face of mining in Ontario
The Ontario Ministry of Mines ‘Recommendations for Exploration 2023-2024’ dedicated a chapter to the advantages of drone use, specifically in the Timmins district. The report cited a 2019 study by Dai et al. that found a magnetic survey drone can cover 150 - 200 survey-line kilometers per day. Traditional airborne surveying methods such as airplanes and helicopters have been used since the 1930s. With improvements in battery efficiency, range and size, it may be that the time has come for drones to replace their forefathers. As drones become the new standard in geophysical surveys of mine sites, their higher resolution and automation ensure clearer, more consistent images and data are gathered for mining companies to exploit.
The Global Data Mine Site Survey 2022 found that 65% of projects use drones in some capacity, with 32% of these projects indicating they had either made a significant investment in drones or had fully invested in the technology, demonstrating the faith mine operators have in drone-based tech. Surveying and mapping are the most common uses of unmanned aerial technologies, with 83% of respondents using drones for this purpose.
Recently, Volatus Aerospace merged with Drone Delivery Canada, opening new doors for the company in the emerging unmanned flight sector in mining. Glen Lynch, CEO of Volatus Aerospace, outlined how drones benefit mining companies looking to meet their ESG goals. “Beyond environmental benefits, drones contribute to the social aspect of ESG by reducing the risk to human workers… Dangerous tasks can be completed remotely, improving safety and work-life balance.”
Expert Geophysics highlighted the importance of Ontario to the company in the development of the technologies used for their geophysical surveys. Soon, the company is looking to expand its headquarters in Ontario to a new facility in Newmarket, three times larger than its current location. Andrei Bagrianski, president and founder, stated: “Our Ontario headquarters is vital to our operations, housing our 30-member engineering and R&D team. While our MobileMTd technology is currently operational in Australia, and our office there is expanding, Ontario remains central to our company’s growth. The drone industry as a whole is enjoying increased success. There has been a lot of interest from various companies across Ontario and the world, with word of mouth and improving technologies being driving factors for more drone-led geophysics projects.”
Other sectors in the value chain are also realizing the value of drone-based technology in their work, for example, in consulting. “While we have been using scanning technology for over a decade, drones now allow us to cover larger areas more thoroughly, delivering higher-quality data from previously inaccessible angles,” said Navin Gangadin, executive VP, central Canada operations, BBA Consultants.
As a hub for innovation in mining, Ontario is leading the way in the adoption of drone technology. However, despite the recognition of the importance of drone technology, the Ontario government can do more to encourage the use of this safer, more efficient method of surveying. Being able to operate beyond the visual line of sight requires navigating lots of red tape and can grind survey work to a halt.
“Ontario is the best place in the world for a startup in the cleantech mining space, and we are receiving tremendous backing and support from both the federal and provincial governments.”
Greg Hanna, Founder and CEO, Destiny Copper
One of the key advantages of drones is the vast amount of data they can collect. Cameron Chell, CEO and co-founder of Draganfly, a company that offers drone solutions and UAV services to the mining industry, explained how new radar technologies are being incorporated to expand the usefulness of drones in mining: “LiDAR is increasingly used to measure overburden, while multi-spectral cameras provide valuable data. When combined with magnetometer readings, these sensors offer comprehensive insights, giving companies a more complete understanding of their operations. The more sensors, the more data, and the more a drone is designed to be a collector of data, then more unique data can be captured and new insights created.”
It is no secret that finding new deposits is becoming increasingly harder, particularly in historically successful mining jurisdictions such as Ontario. According to Daniel Wallace, CRO of Seequent, this leaves companies pioneering drone technology in a unique position to benefit: “Considering that the easy-to-find deposits have already been found, exploration is being pushed into geographically more complex and challenging environments, and our technology is focused on helping our clients make their workflow more economical and efficient in these difficult environments,”
By aiming to reduce the amount of time surveying and collecting data, companies such as Seequent are aiming to help geologists stay in the field conducting their work for longer, improving the overall quality of deposits and in turn helping mining companies produce better results. For this new data to be useful, companies must harness the true power of technology. A recent article by McKinsey & Company titled ‘Beyond the hype: New opportunities for Gen AI in energy and materials’ posited that mining is uniquely well-positioned to benefit from generative AI. They suggested that the minerals industry relies heavily on data for its processes and that years of data that have been stored could be harnessed with a clear vision toward the future.
“A major hindrance has been OEM manufacturers locking away data from their machines to monetize it. This leads mining companies to juggle several disparate systems that do not communicate, making it difficult to consolidate data.”
Ash Agarwal, CEO, SymX.AI
However, companies must proceed with caution as risks associated with machine learning and AI could prove fatal. With years of data in sensor historians and databases, as well as OEM and troubleshooting manuals being physically stored, accuracy, security and privacy should all be kept in mind when implementing such technologies. Rey Boucher, president of Jannatec Technologies, recognized how cybersecurity can be a major issue for mining companies, as seen in the ransomware attack on Evolution Mining in August 2024: “AI can improve processes and enable autonomy, but it also requires strict security to prevent uncontrolled operation. People sometimes underestimate AI’s risks, especially regarding data and operational security.”
Maestro Digital Mine produces detection devices and last-mile digital networks for the underground mining sector and has applied AI successfully on several projects. Jacob Lachapelle, CEO-in-training, said: “AI presents great opportunities, especially in the analytics space, as when you train a model, it can provide significant value. The challenge is obtaining wide sets of data since the process control network (PCN) is isolated from the business network for security reasons.”
There is still much to be done until AI and machine learning become part of everyday operations in mining, and more collaboration within the industry will be required. “Not all of our clients are willing to share their data. We are still figuring out how to overcome data security issues when leveraging AI,” said Russell Vance, regional manager for North America at Deswik.
Vance’s views demonstrate that despite the clear advantages of adopting AI, there is still progress to be made before companies across the value chain are ready to put their trust in the technology.
“It is not just about storing information, but about making the information useful so that it can inform better decisions, as better decisions lead to better productivity.”
Daniel Wallace, CRO, Seequent
The hesitancy of adopting AI is particularly acute in Ontario, whereby GenAI models cannot replicate the centuries of experience and knowledge possessed by mine workers and consultants. “While AI is a growing topic and making strides, it cannot replace the deep operational experience our team brings. Technology like AI requires the expertise of experienced professionals to interpret and apply it effectively to specific mining projects,” said Gene Tucker, regional manager – Canada, AMC Consultants.
In preparation for the AI adoption boom, mining could learn lessons from other industries’ data management practices. Particularly, the energy sector, which is a leader in the field. “The energy sector has always been ahead of the game, particularly when it comes to seizing data management opportunities. The mining sector tends to act a bit more conservatively, and the slow rate of technology adoption is surprising considering how long we have known that there is a gap in the data management space,” highlighted Janina Elliott, segment director – mining for Seequent.
In the years to come, mining and technology companies must follow suit if they are to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them through the vast influx of data that improved drone technologies will bring.
Article header image courtesy of Piyaphorn at Adobe Stock