Applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in open-pit mines

Abstract

In recent years, mapping operations in open-pit mines are made by using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) having the advantages of cost, time and occupational safety. Using UAV.s, easy, fast, high sensitive and economic measurements can be done in difficult field conditions. The advantages of UAV based mapping applications in open-pit mines are explained in this study. Within this scope, orthophoto maps pmduced by UAV, digital elevation models (DEM), amount of stripping and production calculations, stock and dumping volume determinations and deformation measurement studies are presented.