How AI Vision can be critical in making the Mining Industry sustainable

Mining is a strange sort of industry. It is actually a cluster of processes that enables the world to obtain materials and minerals that cannot be created or manufactured or grown through agriculture. By definition it is the extraction and management of minerals from the earth’s surface, and it has been the core industry of most economies in the world.

Sustainability the primary challenge

Sustainability has in recent years become the biggest dilemma the mining industry faces. The most worrying factors are: Environmental regulations and nationalism have created a major impact. Resources are becoming scarce and more costly to access. Shortage of skilled labor is another major concern.

Miners need to Re-Calibrate

The commodity boom peaked just over a decade ago. Since then the headwinds have been growing in strength. The mining industry has been forced to re-calibrate and re-think. Some of the key recalibration action points revolve around these aspects

• Access to renewable energy sources, reduction in carbon footprint
• Lower water consumption, lower environmental impact
• Re-usage of materials, reduction in waste
• Transparency in operations, reduction in geo-political risks
• More  R&D, new avenues to increase sustainability
• More automation, increase in operational efficiency and safety
• Adoption of technology in several processes.