Problem

You recognize that significant benefits would be realized by transitioning mine site map-ping/volumetrics to drones (more properly, small Unmanned Aerial Systems, sUAS). You have decided, at least for the immediate future, to use an outside service provider rather than internalize the process.

Drone-Based Mine Site Mapping & Volumetric Services

The Cost of Not Addressing this Problem

Mine site mapping, particularly volumetric analysis, is currently a long turnaround and expensive process. Your competitors are already starting to employ drone technology to improve response time and reduce costs. Failing to employ this new approach could leave you at a competitive disadvantage.

Addressing the Problem

Since you have, at least for the present, decided to out-source drone-collected mapping and volumetrics, the task now is to select a qualified company to perform these services. A checklist for evaluating a potential service provider should include these questions:

• Is the vendor authorized to fly by the Federal Aviation Administration (do they have an FAA 333 exemption permitting commercial drone flights)?

• Do you feel confident that the vendor’s methodology for rigorous network/local accuracy (surveying accuracy) will meet your requirements?

• Does the vendor have a plan for incorporating surveyed quality assurance check points that will be captured in the aerial flight?

• Does the vendor understand how to incorporate design information such as “bottom” lines, reclaim tunnel mod-els, a priori stockpile toes and so forth into the modeling process?

• Does the vendor have a reasonable approach to allowing you to collaborate on resolving project boundaries, stock-pile identification, stockpile toe definitions, occluded areas and so forth?

• Have proposed ground personnel worked on mine sites and have safety awareness?

• Does the vendor have sUAS aircraft liability insurance?

• Can the vendor provide references?

You should engage in a pilot project with your candidate vendor. This will limit your initial investment and give you an opportunity to fully vet the proposed provider before committing to a long term relationship. You will want to have independent test data to validate the vendor’s solution.

AirGonGeoCue GroupAirGon LLC www.AirGon.com

The AirGon Solution – Volumetric Services

While AirGon’s core business is developing analytic and data management tools for drone-based metric mapping, we recognized early on that mine site operators will often migrate to this new technology by first hiring services. Thus we developed an AirGon Mapping Services group to provide end-to-end drone-based mapping services. We have collected data over many different mine sites and have delivered a wide range of products. Our field personnel have completed MSHA Part 46 basic safety training and have worked at a variety of mine sites. We are fully compliant with federal regu-lations on commercial drone operations via our FAA part 333 exemption.

Our drones are equipped with Real Time Kinematic (RTK) positioning systems, assuring survey grade network accuracy. In addition, we always use our own GNSS base station and set out ground targets that we survey as a quality control check used during data processing.

Reckon, our cloud-hosted data management and collaboration portal, provides an on-line interactive system for quickly moving your mine site through the mapping process from initial project area planning through volumetrics reporting. Your first project with AirGon will include a Reckon subscription, ensuring that your data are always secure and available via a web connection.

We have performed services for a number of mining companies with successful deliveries to all. In addition, our methods have been accredited by several accounting firms as meeting the standards for independent audits.

As a final consideration, we provide our services under our CONTINUUM™ program. This program makes it easy for you to transition any or all parts of the process to an owner/operator model. For example, you might begin using us to provide end-to-end services. After a time, you might become comfortable with the idea of operating your own drone but continue to use us for data processing. CONTINUUM allows you the flexibility to deploy with the business model best suited to your needs with no need to switch vendors as your model evolves.

Return on Investment

Our services customers have realized a positive return on investment (ROI) with the very first services project. Drone-acquired mapping is less expensive than aerial photogrammetric missions and usually competitive with (but superior to) ground-based options.

Call to Action

Just contact us at services@airgon.com or call 256-461-8289 to discuss your next project. Try a drone-based project executed by us and compare to your current methods. We think you will be convinced that drone-based site mapping is the most cost effective and efficient solution.

AirGonGeoCue GroupAirGon LLC www.AirGon.com