When a dangerous rockfall rendered vast sections of an underground quarry unsafe, Emesent’s Hovermap stepped in to do what no human safely could.
Offering a solution described as “mine-saving” is not a small claim. Living up to that reputation is even harder. Yet, in the heat of a high-stakes situation, Emesent’s Hovermap did just that. When a major rock fall occurred in an active limestone quarry in Iowa, US, Unmanned Aerial Surveys (UAS) turned to Hovermap’s autonomous drone technology to safely explore, navigate and map the unstable underground workings.
The goal was to cover several kilometres without putting a single person in harm’s way.
Underground mines are already some of the most dangerous work environments, with loose rock, flooding, unstable ground and the constant threat of collapse creating serious hazards. The Iowa event was on another, “extreme” level.
It involved a significant collapse covering roughly 22 acres, blocking off passages and leaving large sections of the mine destabilised – making it not just risky, but impossible to send people in to assess the damage.
Hovermap, however, offered a way forward.
With versatile mounting options, Emesent’s system uses light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors and advanced simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) technology to build detailed three-dimensional point cloud maps of underground spaces without relying on GPS signals. Add-on 360° cameras give operators an immersive visual view alongside precise spatial data.
This combination is critical when dealing with the complexities of unstable underground structures, similar to those found at the Iowa site.
Over multiple autonomous flights covering more than 5km, Hovermap navigated tight drifts, avoided hanging rocks and carefully skirted flooded sections.
The drone maintained a strong data connection nearly 800m underground even as the team above heard a dozen rockfalls echo in the distance, which added to the urgency and danger of the operation.
In less than 48 hours from the first emergency call, UAS and the Emesent Hovermap had completed several flights and delivered comprehensive 3D maps. The data provided mine owners with immediate insight into the extent of the collapse, the condition of surrounding drifts and signs of water impoundment which likely contributed to the instability.
What made the mission even more valuable was layering this new scan over a detailed map created almost a year earlier. Together, the two scans offered a detailed picture of how the underground environment had changed over time. These insights were invaluable for ongoing risk assessments, operational planning and proactive safety measures.
“Without doubt, the ability of Hovermap to enter areas that are completely inaccessible, capture data and return to safety autonomously opens up new opportunities for mine incident analysis and response,” UAS founder and president Matt Mackinnon said.
According to Mackinnon, while Emesent’s solution is already a powerful tool for building fast and accurate 3D maps of underground environments, another trait sets it apart.
“It is the ability to do [what it does] with little to no human intervention that can ensure life-saving decisions can be made in real time,” he said.
Hovermap is transformative because it operates autonomously in GPS-denied spaces where traditional surveying methods either fail or require people to enter
high-risk areas.
By removing the need for human entry, it dramatically reduces exposure to potentially life-threatening hazards.
The LiDAR sensor on board captures almost two million points every second, creating intricate high-density maps that reveal geological formations and structural details with exceptional clarity.
This technology is changing how mining companies approach emergency response as well as routine monitoring. The Iowa incident was an emergency but Hovermap’s strengths also shine in regular change detection and baseline condition documentation. Regular scans allow mining teams to spot shifts in ground conditions long before they become dangerous.
The safety and operational benefits are undeniable. Workers no longer need to crawl through hazardous environments to perform surveys or inspections, while faster and more accurate data collection reduces downtime and helps maintain productivity without compromising safety.
“Emesent’s AI-powered autonomous mapping technology for GPS-denied environments represents a significant step change in the way surveying is done underground,” Emesent co-founder and chief strategy officer Stefan Hrabar said.
“Our capabilities shift the focus from how the data is captured – automating the most challenging aspects of the process – and instead, shifts attention to what really matters: the interpretation and understanding of the data, and how these insights can be used to better manage the mine site and the resources deployed there.”
As these autonomous systems become more common, mining’s digital transformation will continue to also deepen.
Regular automated scanning will create living models of mine sites that are constantly updated, making it easier to detect changes before they develop into safety hazards.
Hovermap will be instrumental in that transition – not only making mining a smarter endeavour, but also significantly safer, owing to its proven ability to remove people from harm’s way.
This feature appeared in the November-December edition of Safe to Work.