CHCNAV UAV and lidar help mining exploration

Image: CHCNAV

CHC Navigation’s mobile mapping solutions, the P330 Pro vertical take-off and landing unmanned autonomous vehicle (VTOL UAV) and the AlphaAir 450 lidar, are being used for mining exploration in Indonesia. The solutions help with effective data collection to measure the volume of an open-pit mine.

The P330 Pro UAV and the AlphaAir 450 provide an effective surveying solution, which is critical to the life cycle of mining projects. During this operation, the solutions covered more than 5 km² per mission, with an error of less than 5 cm. Accurate lidar in vegetated areas enabled surveying of the ground surface, including structures missed by other surveys due to dense vegetation.

A CHC Navigation i50 GNSS receiver and processing software provided with the AlphaAir 450 were deployed during the operation.

The P330 Pro UAV enables small- and large-scale aerial surveying. It comes with a portable ground control station for remote control and communication between the UAV and its operator. The UAV is designed for vertical takeoff and landing, making it convenient to operate and transport.

The AlphaAir 450 is a lightweight and rugged system, which integrates lidar with an industrial-grade professional 26 MP camera and an inertial navigation system for data collection.