Technology in Mining: The Past, Present, and Future of Digital Innovation

Digital innovation is transforming the mining industry and is showing no sign of slowing down. One area that has benefited from adopting technological solutions is scanning and mapping -- both from the efficiency and safety perspectives. While the introduction of handheld laser scanners and autonomous aerial robots has accelerated the adoption of innovative data capture, mining experts are predicting an acceleration in robotics and artificial intelligence investments to improve operations for companies even further.

On August 10th, experts from Dundee Precious Metals, EY Canada, NORCAT, and Exyn Technologies gathered for a live webinar to discuss technology in mining: the past, present, and future of robotics and AI being used in the mining industry and what impacts it will have on traditional surveying and mapping workflows.

For those that weren't able to attend live, we've compiled their top 3 takeaways and a full recording of the discussion that you can find below. 

Top 3 Takeaways

1. New technologies in mining are a driver to hire a new generation of talent that are interested in working with innovative technologies like autonomous robotics. This will entice a new workforce and keep them employed and healthy longer by also increasing the amount of safety that we see in mining overall.
2. Mining companies need to digitize their data in order to provide transparency to their shareholders and the local community. With more insight comes great responsibility. More investors and environmental activists are paying attention to ESG requirements in mining and the calls for more regulation and less environmental impact will continue to grow.
3. Autonomous robots have established their foothold in the mining industry. The benefits have been realized and are only going to grow with better technology and widespread adoption. Now the question becomes what other areas of surveying & mining can be made autonomous to keep surveyors on the surface and out of harm's way. 

Another great point that came up at the end of the call was cybersecurity and we thought it was important to note as well. Mining isn't a sector that we think of as highly secure, even though we see incredibly advanced machines being used throughout the industry. But as organizations begin to digitize more of their operations, it will be crucial to beef up cybersecurity practices for both hardware and personnel to prevent bad actors from gaining access to sensitive business information. 

But that's not all our experts discussed! You can catch their full conversation in the webinar recording below: