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UAVs, unmanned aerial vehicles, or as they are popularly called, drones, are already considered a key part of the mining expansion process, exploring the growth potential of the sector in the country. Present in the Brazilian economy since colonization, mining is one of the country's main activities, reaching R$ 209 billion in revenue in 2020. According to the Brazilian Secretariat of Geology and Mining, the Financial Compensation for Mineral Exploration (CFEM) obtained, among taxes, a significant growth compared to the previous year. In 2019, the sector reached R$ 4.5 billion, jumping to R$ 6.1 billion in 2020, making the mining industry responsible for 2.5% of the Brazilian Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Given the expansion scenario, the role that the introduction of new technologies can play in optimizing processes within the sector becomes evident. Recently, the use of drones has become a way to optimize processes in mining, increasing the efficiency of operations and preventing employees from going through risky situations.
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Industry 4.0 and the use of technology in mining
The concept of Industry 4.0 or the 4th Industrial Revolution reveals how economic, geopolitical, and social processes have been transforming rapidly. The use of technological solutions in these sectors is recurrent and brings diverse strategies. One of them is the participation of drones in specific mining processes. A major financial and economic support for Brazil, the Mining Industry has increasingly been the target of technological incentives that enable and facilitate its expansion, including work with aircraft. Also known as unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs, drones are small-sized aircraft that can perform tasks such as mine mapping, inspection, and monitoring, optimizing process flow and replacing human labor in high-risk jobs. Some activities have been optimized due to the use of drones in mining, such as topographical surveying of the area, used in the field research and mineral extraction phases, in evaluating ore volume, and measuring risks to the environment – since mining can cause surface erosion. In addition, risks to employees on unstable weather days can be avoided by predicting storms and potential landslide accidents, and even monitoring preservation areas and dams. This means that the role of using drones in mining ranges from area mapping to operations management. Drones are also a more cost-effective and versatile option compared to the use of helicopters and manned aircraft. Just like in the international market, investing in Artificial Intelligence (AI) is decisive for the competitive future of companies in Brazil. In addition to drone-generated solutions, AI can be used in the Mining Industry in various aspects, including the safety of operations, considered one of the most important pillars of the segment. Sustainability can be another aspect optimized by technology, as solutions provided by AI end up developing ways to reduce water consumption, recover areas that have suffered major environmental impact, and correctly dispose of generated waste. In addition, specific equipment such as excavators and trucks can be automatically controlled, in solutions created through technology in the industry.
Meet Deeptrack, a solution that optimizes logistics in mining
In partnership with Eneva, Pix Force developed a solution that uses drones with thermal cameras to capture the temperature of the rollers in conveyor belts. The Deeptrack solution is capable of evaluating which points are undergoing an overheating process, generating subsequent reports that can be analyzed by the technical team managing the process. Deeptrack was developed to operate in harsh environments, which also prevents risks related to the exposure of human labor. The process, which reduces maintenance costs, works in the prevention of unexpected shutdowns on conveyor belts, promoting a better cost-benefit ratio for operations. The equipment enables quick diagnostics, facilitating the mining industry's access to AI solutions that already exist in the Brazilian market. Another advantage is the subsequent access to the mission videos in their entirety, which allows for an audit of the operations carried out with information on the functioning of the belts at specific moments. Through the technology presented by Deeptrack, the mining industry can obtain numerous advantages related to the predictive maintenance of conveyor belts, reducing unnecessary costs with unexpected shutdowns. In addition, the technology allows the company itself to conduct the drone flights, thanks to a fully customized flight application focused on the practicality of the processes. The drones are capable of performing missions autonomously with a single button, avoiding costs with specialized teams or technical difficulties. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu__1W8cLGk
Fabio Caraça
Fábio Caraça is the Chief Growth Officer at Pix Force. He leads Pix Force's transformation into a scalable SaaS operation, combining strategic vision, culture, and high-impact execution.
