Mining safety is a top priority in Australia, and accurate inspections of critical infrastructure play a crucial role. At a Queensland open-cut mine, a recent inspection showcased how the Elios 3 drone significantly boosted safety, efficiency, and reliability in handling a challenging underground culvert inspection.
Inspecting underground culverts in Aussie mines can be notoriously difficult and hazardous. Traditional inspection methods often mean sending workers into tight, potentially dangerous spaces, risking injury and structural damage. At this particular Queensland site, an 80-metre-long culvert was partially submerged and completely inaccessible using manual or standard robotic inspection techniques.
The inspection team chose Flyability Elios 3, a robust, collision-resistant drone perfect for complex, confined inspections typical in Australian mining environments. The Elios 3 quickly proved invaluable:
Mid-inspection, the drone encountered an unexpected obstacle, a group of bats nesting inside the culvert. With Elios 3’s flexible design and powerful 16,000-lumen lights, the team swiftly adjusted to conduct the inspection at night. This ensured excellent visibility, accurate data capture, and minimal disturbance to local wildlife.
This Queensland case highlights how Elios 3 can enhance safety, streamline inspection processes, and deliver actionable insights specifically tailored for Australian conditions.
Keen to discover how Elios 3 could work at your site? Reach out to Sphere today, let’s start exploring what's possible for your operations.
