An Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)-listed mining and prospecting company IGO is constructing a virtual reality platform to aid in the discovery of drill targets across its nickel, copper, and lithium exploration sites.
Virtual reality is set to be employed to explore visual representations of the subsurface of these exploration sites.
The production of 3D models involves inputting a variety of geophysical and geological findings into Seequent LeapFrog and other artificial intelligence and 3D-modeling capabilities that have been implemented by IGO.
At one of its exploration sites near the Nova mine in Western Australia, geologists from IGO are experimenting with the application of virtual reality technology.
IGO exploration geologist Erin Martin mentioned to iTnews that virtual reality will augment the geologists’ abilities in interpreting and evaluating targets in 3D.
“Although geology fundamentally operates in three dimensions, many individuals, including geologists, encounter challenges in visualizing intricate geometries and correlations in 3D.”
Martin stated that the initial phase would assess whether “experiencing our 3D models in virtual reality” would help the geologists collaborate to assess various hypotheses regarding the locations of “mineralizing processes”.
She highlighted that “virtual reality will enable more transparent communication” between the 3D mapping experts and other geologists.
“The diverse array of data inputs necessary for constructing a 3D geological model is evident to those constructing and using the models daily.
“However, this reliance on data can sometimes be overlooked when presenting a polished, visually appealing 3D geological model to an individual outside the team or a non-geologist.
“We are of the opinion that experiencing our 3D models in virtual reality will facilitate clearer communication of the data integration crucial for our target development.”
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