UFR IMDEX partnership named winner in Queensland Mining Awards 2020
The team at Universal Field Robots is proud to announce that, in partnership with IMDEX Limited, we have been named the winner in the Greyhound Innovation (METS) Award of this year’s Queensland Mining Awards and finalist in the METS Ignited Collaboration Award. We were in fantastic company with 9 other finalist technology and services companies with innovative industry solutions ranging from Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) condition monitoring, autonomous industrial drone mapping, and a global online crowdsourcing competition for diverse site access solutions.
Universal Field Robots (UFR) joined forces with global sub-surface intelligence solutions leader IMDEX on a collaborative project that combines UFR’s E20C 2-ton robotic platform that operates UFR Autonomy (called AutoLog), and IMDEX’s downhole sensor technology to deliver IMDEX BLASTDOG™, a semi-autonomous system that helps optimise blasting based on measuring hole physicals and high-resolution three-dimensional material models built from sensor data.
To perform the sensing, UFR AutoLog drives on the mining bench to hole locations as provided by the IMDEX system derived from mine data. It uses robotic vision to check the hole location and then lowers the IMDEX sensor down the blasthole. The valuable data is sent to IMDEXHUB-IQ system in the cloud in real-time to be used by mining engineers to make changes to blast design. The improved blast design can lower the cost of blasting, improve fragmentation, and reduce the dilution of ore to improve mining outcomes. UFR AutoLog and IMDEX BLASTDOG move people out of a dangerous zone to improve safety, increase productivity and reduce risk.
The premier bi-annual Queensland Mining Awards celebrate the spirit of innovation, excellence and collaboration fostered within our highly competitive industry. All companies involved in Queensland’s minerals and energy resources sector, from mining companies right through to contractors and suppliers, were invited to enter the Awards and gain recognition for their hard work and entrepreneurial spirit. The 2020 Queensland Mining Awards were proudly presented by the Bowen Basin Mining Club (BBMC), in partnership with the Queensland Resources Council.
This year, the Queensland Mining Awards had 9 award categories up for grabs:
Greyhound Innovation (METS) Award, JCB CEA Innovation (Miner) Award, Sonic Healthplus Safety Initiative Award, Glencore Productivity Award, SMW Group Staff/Community Award, SMW Group EEO Award, QME Bestt Product Launch Award, McLanahan Environment Award, and METS Ignited Collaboration Award.
Congratulations to all the winners and the 26 finalist companies and a special thanks to the Bowen Basin Mining Club (BBMC), Queensland Resources Council, and the award sponsors. Finalist entries addressed safety and risk reduction using creative strategies that access the latest thinking and technology, impressing the judging panel with problem-solving that will benefit the resources industry in coming decades.
The Awards Gala Dinner was held on Wednesday 23 September 2020 at the Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre. We thoroughly enjoyed networking with industry peers at the gala dinner and celebrating the innovation, collaboration and mining excellence that so heavily contributes to improving our industry.
To find out more about the Queensland Mining Awards, visit: https://qldminingawards.com/.
