As mines become more connected, technology is needed to address the many challenges that arise—high reliability requirements (uptime & speed, hardware/software, brain drain, shutdown costs), cybersecurity, and the handling of big data. And although the market has plenty of vendors that can connect and collect data, analyzing and turning it into actionable intelligence is much more difficult. Being able to deliver information to the right people in the right format to make informed decisions is key. The challenge isn’t getting data, but rather, gaining insight – in real time. This session will demonstrate how virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) fit into the mining ecosystem—from training in a VR classroom to using AR to execute regular maintenance tasks, run through safety scenarios, and predict equipment failures before they happen. Several customer case studies will be shown to demonstrate the impact these cutting-edge technologies have on safety and profitability across the enterprise. A relatively small investment in a VR/AR solution can save hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars while supporting knowledge transfer of best practices, increasing efficiency, and reducing costly errors or maintenance.
