Resource World Magazine

a p r i l / m a y 2 0 1 5 www.resourceworld.com 49 MININGWORLD eXom – a situationally aware quadrocopter by Kathrine Moore Made by senseFly, the eXom is the latest technology in the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry. Resource World has cov- ered drones before; we wrote about the fixed wing eBee, as used by Yukon's GroundTruth Exploration. The eXom, however, is a very different product; it is a quadrocopter. It flies like a helicop- ter and can operate in fully autonomous or interactive mode. It comes with software, ready to fly, no assembly required. The eXom has advanced situational awareness and avoids obstacles and stabilizes its flight using its five ultrasonic proxim- ity sensors and five navcams. These sensors are standard eXom equipment which eliminates the need to swap out equipment when a different type of data is required. The TripleView sensor head provides three types of imagery: HD video, thermal video/stills and high-resolution still images. The eXom can capture and geotag video, still and thermal imag- ery, simultaneously reducing the number of flights required for data gathering. Using leading autopilot technology the eXom analyses the data received from its sensors. The drone comes with "numerous self- monitoring and automated failsafe procedures," which minimizes risk to people, structures and the drone itself. The eXom can pro- vide live video feed; you see what eXom sees. The eXom can take off, capture imagery and land itself while you watch the live feed video. With a click on the screen the eXom can centre on a target and capture high resolutions images. So what can the helicopter like eXom provide that the glider like eBee cannot? The eBee flies on a continuous path. It is perfect for covering a lot of ground and works well as a tool for mapping. The eXom, however, can hover and get close to infrastructure or vertical faces. It can provide up close infill mapping or inspection in a quarry for example. It can examine a tailings pond wall. It can safely get close to infrastructure. The eXom is distributed through companies like Spatial Technologies that supply measurement products to the land surveying, engineering, construction, mining, and mapping industries. Drone operators do need to be aware that there are regulations that must be adhered to when flying a drone and it is best to call transportation authorities to check with them before flying a UAV. Canada is leading the way when it comes to developing official drone policies. Generally, laws do not have to be reinvented to protect individuals' privacy and most regulations being devel- oped in Canada are concerned with safety. n The eXom's triple sensor head captures HD and thermal video imagery as well as HD stills without changing payloads. Photo courtesy of senseFly industry and to be able to bid on larger exploration programs, but it soon turned into a genuinely positive shift. These positive changes have been recog- nised, not only with additional exploration drilling contracts domestically and inter- nationally, but with prestigious industry awards too. Geotech received both the David Barr Award for leadership and innovation in mineral exploration health and safety in 2014 and the Safe Day Everyday Gold Award by the Association for Mineral Exploration BC and the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada in 2013. The awards recognize the innova- tive features Geotech has designed and manufactured for several of their drills, including guards, rod handlers and easily accessible emergency response equipment. Overall, Geotech has seen a dramatic decrease in incidents and lost‐time. The company also responded to cli- ents demanding, not only the best and safest drillers, but also the most efficient and environmentally-friendly drills. They are staying ahead of the game by listen- ing to the demands of the industry and keeping up with their own research and development. "We've developed a mud recirculation system to reduce water use and increase the efficiency of drilling muds. It's espe- cially useful on projects where you want to reduce the environmental disturbance, like in Nunavut on the tundra. Two birds, one stone," says Jackson. The biggest challenge for Geotech in the next five years will be staying ahead of the competition. They are not the only drilling company to diversify but when the mar- kets come back, Geotech knows they are ready. "I think we're set up pretty well. We've developed the infrastructure to support doubling in size and have a really good core group of people," says Samis with well-earned confidence. n

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