Inference of Geological Material Groups Using Structural Monitoring Sensors on Excavators

Liyang Liu, Mehala Balamurali, Katherine L. Silversides, Rami N. Khushaba

Abstract: In mining, correctly characterising geological grades is very important as it directly relates to ore quality assessment and downstream processing. Significant effort has been placed into creating the geological block models for the mine site, through site exploration and in-lab assay analysis. Yet the blasting, digging and various processing can cause non-negligible movement of material and invalid prediction of material content due to the now obsolete model. On the other hand, it is well known to excavator operators that digging effort is closely related to the hardness or lumpiness of the material underneath, and therefore this may be exploited to indicate the material type post blasting.