Recently, fresh reports from the international mining industry have highlighted how IGO exploration site workers will soon be able to leverage VR visualisations to explore location-specific subsurface and promote inter-departmental collaboration.
IGO is creating rich digital twins based on subsurface geophysical and geological 3D data replicating the firm’s Nova mine in Western Australia.
The mining firm is trailing its digital twin integration at the high-stakes mining site ahead of broader regional deployment.
IGO Exploration Geologist Erin Martin noted that VR-ready digital twins can “enhance geologists’ capabilities” by allowing workers to interact with, interpret, and assess “targets in 3D.”
IGO is creating rich digital twins by feeding its existing mine data through Seequent LeapFrog, machine learning, and other 3D-modeling tools.
Martin also added:
We believe that experiencing our 3D models in virtual reality will allow more clear communication of the data integration leading to our target development.
Martin explained how the new 3D VR data points will enable “clearer communication” between departments like 3D mapping specialists and other geologist divisions.
“The multitude of data sources that go into building a 3D geological model is clear for the people who build the models and work with them daily,” said Martin.
Overcoming Bussiness Hurdles to Complete XR Pilot Programm
Despite its promise, scaling and deploying XR services in a busy working environment such as mining sites will force a project manager to innovate and overcome potential hurdles.
During the IGO VR pilot programme, Martin noted that onboarding and helping workers interact with new VR 3D data points took time for some members of IGO’s workforce.
Martin said:
Despite geology being an inherently 3D science, many people including geologists struggle to visualise complex geometries and relationships in 3D.
However, despite an expected onboarding challenge, IGO seems driven to leverage XR across its mining sites. IGO is working to create a successful VR deployment in the Western Australian region, which will lead to further VR deployments for other IGO sites.
Moreover, the pilot program will evaluate and eventually prove the worth of VR and digital twins to IGO. The Exploration Geologist said the pilot will showcase whether VR can stimulate collaboration between departments by “experiencing our 3D models in virtual reality” and testing XR within “mineralising processes.”
