The evolvement of digital mines can provide inspiration – and leverage – for cities to turn to technology to improve their own ecosystems.
The concept and adoption of the ‘smart’ or digital mine is gaining momentum, with the models developed paving the way for the digital technologies and systems to be applied to smart cities.
“There are a lot of similarities between what people want to achieve with smart cities and what is being done in the digital mine,” says Etion product engineer Michael Walters.
“In both mines and cities, there are massive benefits to taking a smart, digital-first approach. In both environments, people are safer, inefficiencies are reduced and the general environment is more resilient and conducive to productivity,” he says.
The constantly monitored mining environment holds some similarities to what is required for a smart city – from haulages to stockpiles, factories and warehouses, everything is interconnected through sensors to supply actionable information “at the right time and in the right place”.
“Think of a mine as a microecosystem, which provides cities with an ideal test-bed for new technologies that they may want to implement,” he says.
In an ideal smart city, the measured and analysed data provided by sensors and devices can enable authorities to take immediate action wherever required and obtain an overview of the systems.