Robotics is the branch of technology which deals with the design, construction, operation and application of robots. Robots are machines capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically, either programmed by a computer or using artificial intelligence. Advances in AI have enabled the development of robots, allowing them to become highly complex products rather than the stand-alone, fixed-function machines they used to be. This, in turn, has increased the number of roles that robots can perform. Several factors will contribute to the growth of the industrial robot market. For manufacturers, automation is still the fastest way to improve productivity. The greater cost-efficiency of robots will be another important factor. In addition, robots will become smarter but also more lightweight. Finally, the widespread adoption of cloud computing will give industrial robots continuous access to data and improve the interaction between robots, further enhancing performance and contributing to the segment’s growth. In the last three years alone, there have been over 48,000 patents filed and granted in the mining industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Robotics in Mining: Mine Inspection Robots. Buy the report here.

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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 350,000 patents to analyse innovation intensity for the mining industry, there are 150+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Mining inspection robot is a key innovation area in robotics

Regular inspections are required at operational mines to ensure the ventilation and operations are safe. Furthermore, many laws require rehabilitation after a mine’s life is over, but inspections and duties associated with rehabilitation are frequently overlooked. Personnel entering abandoned mines to conduct surveys become more dangerous as time passes. Mining inspection robots are a far safer option, as they have advanced vision sensors, typically used for the inspection of critical and high-value infrastructure. A mining inspection robot can autonomously navigate flooded passages. It can then use cameras and other sensors to recognise different minerals.

Mining inspection robots are made up of autonomous robots and visual data management software. Fully autonomous drones or robots capture and collect visual data while automatically navigating around a facility. Autonomous robots are available 24 hours a day, can withstand extreme weather or dust, and can be controlled remotely. Data collected by autonomous robots is uploaded to the cloud, where it is organised and analysed. Users can request insights and automatically receive detailed reports when the insights are ready.

Autonomous inspections at a typical mine include stockpile measurements, tailings dam inspection, shutdowns and project management, environmental monitoring, environmental monitoring, emergency response and security, haul road inspection, and pre and post blast analysis.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 110+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established mining companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of mining inspection robots.

Key players in mining inspection robot – a disruptive innovation in the mining industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.

Patent volumes related to mine inspection robots

Leaders in ‘mining inspection robots’ include Sandvik. Sandvik has collaborated with Exyn Technologies, an autonomous aerial robot system, to integrate Exyn's data into Sandvik's OptiMine analytics and process optimization suite. Exyn and Sandvik are assisting mining customers in transforming their underground operations to be safer, more productive, and efficient by combining critical data and capabilities. Mining companies can harness completely pilotless flight to access impossible-to-reach data with maximum safety by using Exyn's industrial-grade autonomous drone. The collected data is processed using Exyn's onboard 3D mapping technology, which is powered by ExynAI, and then integrated with Sandvik's OptiMine® Mine Visualizer solution for analysis and optimization of underground mining production and processes.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the mining industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Mining.

GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article. 

GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.