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GeoSight - Mining Borehole Probe
Rugged LiDAR Scanner for Underground Mining
An Inside Glimpse Into the Development of GeoSight's Mining Borehole Probe
Background & Design Requirements
GeoSight is known for having the toughest 3D mapping scanner in the mining industry and required expert technical support from Design 1st to design a 2.5 inch diameter watertight camera and LIDAR scanner to provide 360-views of underground boreholes that would be extremely rugged.
- Tight eight week turnaround to have a functional prototype for field testing.
- Custom connector and quick disconnect system for easy transport and setup.
- Integrate LiDar vision cameras in a secure rugged housing that could withstand abrasion from rocks and underground mining conditions.
- Develop a remotely controlled mechanical gearbox to provide a 360 degree field of view
- Limit size to 2.5" diameter to access small boreholes
- Integrate a multi-sensor array of LiDar, wide angle video, and presence sensors to avoid falling into cavitites.
Technical Design Challenges
The scanner’s limited space required a creative approach to the high-risk gearbox design and standard ‘off the shelf’ gearboxes would not fit in the tight design envelope so Design 1st designed and tested a fully custom system.
- Meet IP67 rugged weatherproof standards to provide protection against water, dust, rock debris and impacts
- Custom development of a dual-actuator with a custom pass-through torque-increasing gearbox
- Early prototype testing showed glass was failing during impact with rocks, the solution was to update the design using Gorilla® Glass for the camera viewports
Product Results
Design 1st’s expert design and engineering teams helped GeoSight design, develop, and manufacture the World’s most advanced borehole sensor in the mining industry.
- Helped GeoSight build a custom global supply chain for product sourcing, manufacturing, and assembly.
- Won' Mining Technology' product excellence award for mining equipment innovation.
- Launched a volume production manufacturing run that met all quality requirements and was successfully delivered to customers across the world.
The world's most advanced underground borehole scanner
“Design 1st experience in outdoor product and Geotechnical probes made for a quick learning curve understanding the specific use situation environment. They were up to speed on the key mechanical challenges in a few hours of discussion and identified plausible low-risk solutions quickly, to guide the choice of engineering direction to focus on.”
John Lipton
Director of Engineering, Geosight Inc.
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