CAPE TOWN - Five start-ups, as chosen by the Mining 2050 advisory group have pitched their new ideas for mining technology. According to this board, these are promising to be the most exciting technology start-ups you will see in 2018.
1. RockMass Technologies
RockMass Technologies, based in Canada, provides a data collection tool for geologists to measure structural information, strike and dip measurements, of exposed rock faces more efficiently, accurately, and safely.
According to RockMass, their data collection tool provides real-time measurements which is used to analyse and assess the structural stability of a mine. "This device is compact, easy to use, and built to excel in harsh underground conditions. We will offer a range of new products, ultimately providing the mining industry with a fully mechanized structural mapping system that efficiently and exclusively maps geological features," the company said.
2. AVA Solutions
Applied Vehicle Analysis (Pty) Limited is located in Johannesburg. The company develops innovative technology solutions in the mining industry.
"Cloud hosting allows for rapid deployment of our systems. Our mission is to equip and empower decision makers allowing them to improve efficiencies and reduce costs," Jason van der Watt, co-founder of AVA said.
The AVA solution automatically captures and suggest improvements for load and haul fleets.This allows management to spend less time on previously manual tasks and focus on the critical areas of the business.
3. Minespider
Minespider provides a Blockchain-based trading platform which they hope to turn supply chain due diligence from a service that is performed into a commodity that is purchased.
To do this, the company works with an alliance of partner companies, NGOs, and government institutions, collecting data from responsible mineral areas and tokenizing this data so that it may be sold up the supply chain.
It is said that the data, encrypted in Blockchain, serves as a unique identifier which travels with minerals shipments in the cloud. This team also looks at creating a cryptocurrency which will allow funds spent on minerals to be traced to responsible sources – creating an end-to-end verifiable Blockchain record for both shipments of minerals up the supply chain and the flow of funds from the consumer to the miner.
4. DataProphet
This is a Cape Town based company which delivers simple-to-use services that return accurate, low level and actionable predictions which can be easily integrated into existing infrastructure. This is done through a combination of machine learning expertise, management consulting and systems development experience.
Their team is comprised of diverse skillsets in Data Science, Engineering, Statistics and Actuarial Science.
5. Imago Inc.
Imago is a platform to extract knowledge from geoscientific imagery. It consolidates images from any source, transforms them into meaningful insights and then connects them to the appropriate geological or mining activity. It is part of a new generation of digital solutions for modern mining
Imago manages geoscience images. It is a platform to utilise when you want to extract knowledge from geoscientific imagery.
Their web-based tools allow you to catalog, expose, and connect your image data to uncover new opportunities.