Drone Tested at Yakovlevsky Mining Complex to Inspect Hard-to-Reach Underground Workings
Specialists at Severstal's Yakovlevsky Mining Complex are testing the InnoSpector unmanned system developed by Innopolis University. The drone scans underground mine workings and creates a 3D model, making it possible to inspect areas that are too hazardous for people to enter.
Unlike the handheld LiDAR systems used at the mine to take measurements from a safe distance, the drone can operate in hard-to-reach areas, including vertical workings, where conventional methods cannot provide both safety and rapid surveying.
According to Ignatyev, unmanned technologies are a key tool for developing production, and their purpose is to remove specialists from high-risk areas.
The system was tested twice at the mine's 425-meter level, confirming the effectiveness of the SLAM technology, which allows the drone to build a 3D model of the working in real time. Testing in a narrow ore pass showed that the drone requires further refinement. After the trials, specialists will assess the feasibility of deploying the system in industrial operations.
