Emesent has launched Hovermap ST for autonomous LiDAR (light detection and ranging) mapping, using a new technology to build on a solid reputation of mining data capture.
The original Hovermap has been tried and tested since 2019 in some of Australia’s largest mines, including by Northern Star Resources, Evolution Mining and Glencore.
With a new Automated Ground Control feature, Hovermap ST speeds up survey workflows and improves accuracy without having to stop at each survey point.
Emesent chief executive officer Stefan Hrabar said he looked forward to seeing how the mining sector takes Hovermap ST and maximises its abilities.
“We’re excited to be providing our customers with a new robust and reliable autonomous mapping tool for challenging environments, including those that were previously not well suited to SLAM-based mapping,” Hrabar said.
Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) based systems are effective in the fast mapping of complex environments, but Emesent found that achieving accuracy and repeatable results posed a challenge in the past.
Hovermap ST removes this issue using the Automated Ground Control feature.
“This is a huge step forward for mobile mapping, providing unrivalled SLAM accuracy and workflow efficiencies,” Hrabar said.
Once an array of Emesent ground control targets are placed around the survey environments, Hovermap ST can conduct a survey without stopping in motion to produce up to 600,000 points per second.
Hovermap’s Tap-to-Fly autonomy feature also enables guided exploration in previously inaccessible areas beyond line of sight and communication range.
The omnidirectional Collision Avoidance and smart Return-To-Home functions ensure assets are kept safe and valuable equipment isn’t damaged or lost.
The release of Hovermap ST follows Emesent’s fundraising of $32 million as it seeks to implement a global expansion plan.
The capital raise will enable Emesent to double the size of its engineering team, particularly in the area of data analytics, according to Hrabar.
“This will ensure we’re developing end-to-end solutions for our customers, from autonomous data capture through to autonomous analytics,” he said.
“We’re also building a state-of-the-art manufacturing, calibration and test facility near our Brisbane headquarters to meet growing demand, as well as opening offices in the US and UK.”