How Drones Reduce Mining Survey Time in A Day

Reduce mining survey time has become critical as exploration teams tackle vast, remote concessions under tight budgets and schedules. Traditional ground surveys require clearing corridors, placing GNSS markers, and drilling dozens of test bores—often taking weeks and costing tens of thousands per square kilometer.

Take a look at our team in Indonesia, showcasing this transformation for a dam project. In just one day, LiDAR drone covered nearly 20 hectares, capturing high-resolution data and 24 MP imagery to produce an accurate topographic map and 3D model of the site. These deliverables now drive real-time planning, progress measurement, and project control decisions.

Such workflows slash field time from days to hours, deliver sub–5 cm accuracy, and enhance safety by keeping crews out of hazardous terrain.

Surveying Challenges in Rugged Mining Terrain

1. Extended Timelines & High Costs
   • Ground crews must manually carve survey lines and set up total stations every few hundred meters. Each 1 km² patch demands 3–5 days of labor, and drilling boreholes for calibration adds $5,000–$10,000 per hole. Delays in assay results push project schedules back, increasing overhead.
2. Accessibility & Safety Risks
   • Steep ravines, dense brush, and seasonal flooding block vehicle access. Foot patrols on loose shale or across gorges endanger personnel and slow progress. Helicopters can reach remote zones but cost above $700/hr and require complex flight approvals.
3. Sparse Data & Low Resolution
   • Conventional methods yield point data at intervals that miss narrow veins or subtle faulting. Without continuous coverage, drill targeting carries high risk, leading to misdirected holes and wasted capital.
4. Environmental Impact & ESG Concerns
   • Cutting lines of sight disrupts flora and fauna; extended camps leave carbon footprints. Regulators and communities demand minimal disturbance and transparent, verifiable methods.

These hurdles underscore the need for drone mapping, UAV topography, and cloud-based drone data processing that deliver dense, accurate models quickly and sustainably.

The DJI M400 Platform

The DJI M400 sets a new standard for industrial UAV operations in mining environments:

• Rugged Design & Weatherproofing
  • IP55 rating ensures resistance to dust and light rain common in desert or tropical concessions.
• O4 Enterprise Transmission + 4G Backup
  • Triple-channel 1080p video feed up to 20 km, with automatic failover to cellular networks in signal-affected ravines or dense canopy.
• Dual TB65 Batteries & Hot-Swap Capability
  • Provides up to 55 minutes of airborne time; operators can swap batteries mid-mission without shutting down—maximizing uptime.
• 6 kg Payload Capacity
  • Supports heavy LiDAR sensors, multispectral cameras, or GPR units—enabling multi-sensor surveys in a single flight.

These features make the DJI M400 an ideal platform for rigorous geospatial missions, balancing endurance, reliability, and flexibility in harsh mining settings.

Terra LiDAR One Hesai: High-Precision Topography on Demand

Terra LiDAR One, Terra Drone Arabia’s on-premise sensor suite, combines world-class hardware for ultra-dense terrain capture:

• Hesai Pandar XT32 LiDAR Sensor
  • Range accuracy: ±1 cm
  • Single-return rate: 640,000 points/sec
• Applanix APX-15 IMU/GNSS
  • Roll/pitch accuracy: 0.025°
  • Heading accuracy: 0.080°
• Ricoh GR III 24 MP Camera
  • Synchronized imagery for seamless orthomosaic generation
• Applanix PosPac UAV V8.X Software
  • The license includes 12 months of QC bore-sight calibration and maintenance
• Rugged Transport Case & 6-month production-defect warranty

Together, these components produce point-cloud densities exceeding 150 points/m², generate DTMs/DSMs with vertical errors under 3 cm, and output georeferenced 24 MP ortho mosaics. All within hours of mission completion.

Integrated Workflow: From Planning to Deliverables

1. Mission Planning
   • DJI Pilot 2 imports concession shapefiles and flight-grid parameters. Operators configure the Terra LiDAR One sensor settings via the M400’s payload interface.
2. Pre-Flight Checks & Calibration
   • Automated system health scans verify battery levels, sensor status, IMU alignment, and firmware versions. Compass and IMU calibrations are complete within minutes.
3. Automated LiDAR Survey
   • Drone ascends to 100 m AGL and flies a pre-defined grid at 5 m/s. The Pandar XT32 emits continuous pulses; the APX-15 IMU records inertial data at 200 Hz for trajectory refinement.
4. Real-Time QA/QC
   • O3/4G link streams low-density preview clouds to the ground station. Operators adjust flight altitude or speed on the fly to optimize coverage over difficult terrain.
5. Data Upload & Cloud Processing
   • Upon landing, raw LiDAR files and imagery sync to Terra Mapper and PosPac UAV clouds. Boresight calibration corrects minor misalignments, and Structure-from-Motion algorithms generate orthomosaics and DTMs.
6. Deliverables
   • Interactive 3D meshes, contour maps, cut-fill reports, and GIS shapefiles are uploaded to your project portal within 6 hours, ready for drill-pad planning and geological modeling.

Field Results: Dramatically Reduced Survey Windows

• Case Study: Desert concession, 5 km² area
  • Traditional Survey: 4 crews × 4 days × $8,000/day = $128,000 labor + drilling costs
  • Drone-LiDAR Survey: 2 operators × 8 hrs × $500/hr = $8,000 total
  • Time Saved: 90% faster
  • Cost Savings: 94% reduction

Teams gained same-day access to precise 3D terrain models, enabling immediate review and drill-target selection, compressing decision cycles from weeks to under 24 hours.

Business Benefits

• Accelerated Decision-Making: Rapid geo-model delivery avoids project delays and speeds resource estimation.
• Cost Efficiency: Lower per-hectare fees free capital for deeper drilling and exploration.
• Enhanced Safety: Remote aerial surveys keep personnel out of unstable slopes or flood-prone gullies.
• Sustainable Practices: Minimal ground disturbance aligns with ESG objectives and eases permitting.

خاتمة

Pairing the DJI M400 with Terra LiDAR One Hesai unlocks dramatic reductions in both time and cost for rugged mining surveys. By delivering high-density LiDAR point clouds and high-resolution photogrammetry in a single, efficient workflow, this integrated solution redefines what’s possible in drone mapping and LiDAR mining exploration. To reduce mining survey time, minimize risk, and maximize data quality, book a live demo or pilot project with Terra Drone Arabia today.