Geological mapping using 3D data acquired with a mobile scanning system designed for underground mining

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The uGPS Rapid Mapper from Peck Tech Consulting Ltd. is a new system composed of a laser scanner mounted at the front or on the back of a mining vehicle, which acquires 3D images in underground mines. A detailed map of the mine, with its various tunnels and ramps, is gradually constructed as the vehicle travels through the underground environment. Clients use this map for mine design (to plan ventilation systems, for example), operation monitoring, and production planning. The company wants to add value to the images acquired by the uGPS Rapid Mapper. In this research project, the images will be by processed to reveal geological information. Software will be developed to calculate the orientation of fractures in the tunnel walls. This information is critical to plan support for tunnels. The software will also be capable of calculating the roughness of rock faces. Variations in roughness might help to distinguish between different rock types and to build a basic geological map of the mine. Finally, since the uGPS Rapid Mapper measures the brightness of the laser beam reflected off the tunnel walls, the software will identify zones of higher reflectivity. These zones might correspond to areas where there is a higher concentration of metallic minerals of economic interest. The project includes field work in an underground mine to test how the laser scanner should be mounted on the mining vehicle and at what speed the vehicle should be driven to get the best quality images for automatic geological mapping. The main challenge will to acquire images at a resolution high enough to capture fine structural details and small bright areas, even in the presence of dust. The main deliverable of the project will be recommendations to upgrade the current uGPS Rapid Mapper system for this application in a later generation of the product.