The uGPS Rapid Mapper™ is a mobile scanning and mapping device that was created for use in underground mines. This revolutionary piece of equipment allows operators of underground mines to easily generate 3D point cloud data on the move, and in far less time than is possible using traditional stationary scanners.
The two areas in which the uGPS Rapid Mapper™ really stands out from other scanners are speed and ease of use.
Speed
Underground scanning and data collection performed using the uGPS Rapid Mapper™ is up to 50 times faster than when using a more traditional stationary scanner. This is because the scanner can be attached to an underground mine vehicle and can generate 3D point cloud data while the vehicle is moving at normal operating speed. No extra manpower is required, and there is minimal loss of data accuracy, even though the process is much quicker and more efficient.
In a recent practical demonstration, the uGPS Rapid Mapper™ and a stationary scanner went head-to-head with each having to scan a section of horizontal drift 700 metres long. The two-man team using the uGPS Rapid Mapper™ was able to fully scan the test area in only 10 minutes. In comparison, the team using the stationary scanner took a full 8 hours to perform the same task. Despite the massive discrepancy in time taken to scan, volume estimates generated from the data differed by less than 0.5%.
Ease of Use
The uGPS Rapid Mapper™ is so easy to operate that most non-survey personnel at a mine (e.g. engineers, foremen and equipment operators), can take the unit and perform an underground scan without the need for survey training or specialised knowledge of scanning applications. Deployment and calibration are seamless, and within minutes, the uGPS Rapid Mapper™ can be mounted, configured and ready for scanning. To start a scan, simply click the green button.
At one site where uGPS Rapid Mapper™ is already in-use, requests to use the device to determine whether equipment will fit through a tunnel are being performed on an ad-hoc basis to save vast amounts of time and money. Instead of needing to get a tunnel surveyed in – or worse, getting a piece of equipment stuck – a quick scan of the tunnel can provide the information necessary to know the answer to ‘will it fit?’.
Due to its speed and ease of use, the uGPS Rapid Mapper™ has the potential to revolutionise the way mining operations all over the world perform underground surveying.
Please contact us at RAMJACK Technology Solutions to find out more about how this unique underground scanner can make your mine safer, more efficient and more profitable.
