TECHNOLOGY

Unmanned vehicle examines Estonian underground mine

Estonian energy group Enefit, which was seeking to identify the pillar conditions of an operation that had been mothballed a decade ago, brought in defence industry company Milrem Robotics to gather information with its unmanned ground vehicle Multiscope

 Milrem's Multiscope was equipped with 3-D LiDARs underground

Milrem's Multiscope was equipped with 3-D LiDARs underground

The Multiscope entered closed sections in the underground Estonia mine where individuals are no longer permitted due to safety concerns.

In the mission, the Multiscope was piloted using data coming from 3-D LiDAR and wide-spectrum HDR cameras, although Milrem officials noted autonomous operation can be applied for future projects.

Enefit pointed out that this was the first time the conditions in a mine's closed room block were examined in this manner.

"Enefit uses smart and innovative solutions to make our production more efficient, to minimise our environmental impact, and prevent occupational safety-related risks. An unmanned vehicle is an excellent solution for conducting surveys in an area which may be unsafe or prohibited for people to enter," Enefit development project director Veljo Aleksandrov said.

He added that the vehicle's mission was successful as the company advances its plans to construct one of the region's largest solar plants atop the abandoned operation.

"We obtained the three-dimensional images and other necessary data which are vital for building a solar power plant on top of the mine," he said.

Enefit's project is expected to generate approximately 3,500MWh of renewable electricity per year. It did not disclose a timeline for the project's completion.

For now, Milrem Robotics has confirmed it is working on different robotics solutions for the civil market and is focusing on autonomous movement in complicated environments.

"Multiscope is a good example of how our technology helps to increase efficiency and complete complex tasks," CEO Kuldar Väärsi said.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Magazine Intelligence team.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Magazine Intelligence team.

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Exploration Report 2024 (feat. Opaxe data)

A comprehensive review of exploration trends and technologies, highlighting the best intercepts and discoveries and the latest initial resource estimates.

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Future Fleets Report 2024

The report paints a picture of the equipment landscape and includes detailed profiles of mines that are employing these fleets

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Digitalisation Report 2023

An in-depth review of operations that use digitalisation technology to drive improvements across all areas of mining production

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Automation Report 2023

An in-depth review of operations using autonomous solutions in every region and sector, including analysis of the factors driving investment decisions