Monthly Discussion with Dr. Nathalie Risso

Drones in mining applications: Challenges and opportunities

Drones in mining applications: Challenges and opportunities.

Drone technology has gained relevance in the critical minerals industry as a mean to provide save and automatic surveying both for open pit and underground operations. The use of this technology carries great promise for exploration, monitoring, and safety, however several challenges associated with technology, methods and education remain. This presentation briefly reviews recent drone applications and ongoing challenges in the minerals industry.

Discussion topics

Dr. Nathalie Risso would like to discuss some of the common challenges associated with drone technology with an emphasis in underground mining applications, as well as opportunities associated to the use of this technology to attract more students and underrepresented minorities into STEM disciplines.

Bio 

Nathalie Risso is an Assistant Professor Mining and Geological Engineering Department at The University of Arizona. She received the B.S. degree in Electronics engineering from Universidad de Concepcion, and the M.S. and Ph.D degrees in Electrical and Computer engineering from the University of Arizona. Her research interests include Cyber-physical systems, Renewable Energy, and Machine Learning. Prof. Risso is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, leading several associated initiatives in STEM related fields.