Zim Engineers Pave the Way for Real-Time Ore Detection & Reef Identification
In 2018, while at the University of Zimbabwe, Winston Muzorori, Tinotenda Chimbwanda, and Touchwell Matanhire came up with an idea that fused Mining and Artificial Intelligence. These three engineers, leveraging their different complementary technical skills, developed an idea to use artificial intelligence in carrying out the following:
- Reef identification in blind reef mining operations.
- Ore grade determination in real-time.
- Determination of offsets during automated 3D face marking by autonomous drill rigs.
Having bootstrapped the minimum viable prototype successfully, the next phase of this project will see the transition from prototype development to mass industrial-scale production of the ore grade determination system as a commercial product. The grade determination system comes in two forms:
- The web-based system and
- The app-based system, which can be downloaded and used as a mobile app, making the technology portable and ideal for use in remote, confined areas.
Competition to the grade determination system comes from destructive and non-destructive mineral composition determination methods like fire assaying, X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), etc. The competitive advantage of the ore grade determination system over other methods is its efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
The grade determination system has the ability to process samples and determine the target mineral concentration in seconds. Technically, this puts the turnaround time of the ore grade determination system to under a minute. This advantage is most ideal for reef marking in blind reef mining operations, where the least turnaround is required for a face panel to have the reef marked so as to avoid creating a bottleneck that affects face drilling. By the touch of a smartphone button, this process is completed by the grade determination system in seconds.
Potential Applications
Areas where the grade determination system can be potentially deployed include:
- Reef and face panel marking by autonomous face drilling rigs.
- Processing plant feed grade determination (belt cutting).
- General orebody analysis (e.g., shape, extent, geometry, and quality).
- Mineral concentration analysis during space exploration.
Forging Strategic Partnerships
At this stage of the project, our goal is to forge partnerships with local mining companies and global mining equipment manufacturers. This will allow us to deploy the ore grade determination system for use on many minerals, such as:
- PGMs
- Gold
- Chrome
- Diamond-bearing kimberlites
- Copper
- Cobalt
- Lithium
- Other minerals with characteristics amenable to the grade determination system.
Inspiring Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Apart from the entrepreneurial urge to unlock value within Zimbabwe’s economy, part of the reason the ore grade determination system was created is to inspire entrepreneurship in graduates from Zimbabwean learning institutions. Ours is a tangible illustration of how the Zimbabwean dream can become a reality if we start being practical.
Regurgitating theoretical concepts without practically converting them into tangible innovations only leads to analysis paralysis and practical inaction. This is the demon we must exorcise for us to reclaim our place as the innovation powerhouse of Africa and the world at large.