Finding the minerals needed for the energy transition requires faster and more accurate ways to understand what lies beneath the Earth's surface and extract them sustainably. Researchers from UQ's Sustainable Minerals Institute have helped develop next-generation drone sensing technologies that combine hyperspectral imaging, advanced data processing and analytics to support exploration, mining and environmental management.
What's the problem?
Mining and exploration projects need enormous amounts of geological and environmental data. Traditional surveying methods can be time-consuming, while processing and interpreting complex datasets can take weeks or months before useful information is available for decision-making.
Delays in understanding mineral distributions, environmental conditions and site characteristics can increase costs, slow project development and limit opportunities to optimise operations. As mining companies seek to improve efficiency and sustainability, there is growing demand for technologies that can rapidly transform data into actionable insights.
What's UQ's innovation?
Researchers Associate Professor Steven Micklethwaite and Katerina Savinova from UQ's Sustainable Minerals Institute led the UQ node in the Horizon Europe-funded m4mining project, an international collaboration developing advanced hyperspectral sensing technologies for the mining sector. UQ was the only non-European participant in the consortium and played an important role in ensuring the technology was exposed to real-world mining experience and and industry needs, with their key European partners HySpex and NORCE.
The project developed a drone-mounted hyperspectral imaging system capable of capturing highly detailed spectral information that helps identify mineralogical, geological and environmental characteristics across large areas. Advanced processing techniques transform this information into detailed maps and three-dimensional models that can be analysed shortly after a drone survey is completed.
What's the impact?
The technology has the potential to improve decision-making across the mining value chain, from mineral exploration and resource management through to environmental monitoring and mine closure.
By providing faster access to detailed geological and environmental information, the system could help reduce exploration costs, improve resource targeting and support more sustainable mining practices. Near-real-time processing also enables organisations to respond more quickly to changing conditions and provides a critical role in quality control of data and interactive changing of survey targets while in the field.
Did you know?
A single hyperspectral drone survey can simultaneously capture information about rock minerals, soil chemistry, vegetation health and environmental conditions, providing insights that support decisions across exploration, operations and mine rehabilitation.
The team
This work is being undertaken through UQ's Sustainable Minerals Institute as part of the international m4mining consortium.
UQ RESEARCH TEAM
| AI Research Strength | Data-Centric AI |
|---|---|
| Industry Portfolio | Energy & Resources |
| Key Publications | Koerting, F., Asadzadeh, S., Hildebrand, J.C., Savinova, E., Kouzeli, E., Nikolakopoulos, K., Lindblom, D., Koellner, N., Buckley, S.J., Lehman, M., Schläpfer, D. and Micklethwaite, S. (2024). VNIR-SWIR imaging spectroscopy for mining: insights for hyperspectral drone applications. Mining, 4(4), 1013-1057. https://www.mdpi.com/3273654 Related publication |