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VZ-6000 has a measurement capability of more than 6,000 m in static applications, making it suitable for mapping and moni- toring in open pits, the company said. The instrument joined the VZ-4000 model, which equipped with an eye-safe laser, can make up to 222,000 measure- ments per second at a maximum range of 4,000 m. Both models are designed to work with Riegl's RiMonitor and RiMining software packages, with RiMonitor used for monitoring pit walls for signs of poten- tial instability. RiMining is a software package for opti- mized and simplified scan data registration and processing in open-pit mining. Riegl said the main applications include survey- ing in open pits, quarries and dump sites, monitoring excavated and filled areas, and making mass calculations, as well as extracting input data for site modeling. RiMining speeds up field-surveying, the company added, providing workflow automation and automatic data registra- tion. VZ-Line laser scanner field-data can be imported and registered without any tar- gets, so reducing the survey times on site. The U.K.-based scanning system sup- plier, 3D Laser Mapping, told E&MJ; that its systems now working at Anglo Platinum's Mogalakwena mine in South Africa and AngloGold Ashanti's Geita mine in Tanzania use Riegl VZ-4000 and VZ-1000 laser scanners, respectively, for data acquisition. Data are processed in SiteMonitor software for slope stability surveying. Mobile Mapping with Zebedee 3D Laser Mapping recently acquired the rights to commercialize a mobile Lidar scanner developed by the Australian research organization, CSIRO. Now mar- keted as the ZEB1, and nicknamed Zebedee after the character in the French- British childrens' TV program The Magic Roundabout , the handheld instrument offers a number of benefits when it comes to surveying stockpiles, buildings or exca- vations, the company said. These include its ability to scan large areas quickly, at walking speed, to gather 3-D point clouds in areas with no GPS cov- erage, its low training needs, automated data processing and the fact that the unit is lightweight, at just 700 g. The ZEB1 uses robotic technology called Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). The system includes a lightweight laser scanner mounted on a simple spring mechanism, which continu- ously scans as the operator walks through the environment. As the scanner loosely oscillates about the spring, it produces a rotation that converts 2-D laser measure- ments into 3-D fields of view. The company cited an example of using the ZEB1 to survey a covered stockpile at a mine in Chile, while comparing its perform- ance with traditional terrestrial laser scan- ning. Data capture with the ZEB1 was found to around five times faster while auto- matic data processing, via 3D Laser Mapping's secure server facility, took less than five minutes, the company reported. Data accuracies and definitions were also found to be well within the specified ranges. Hands-off Void Measurement Surveying voids, such as open stopes, abandoned mine workings or orepasses, is probably the most hazardous task in the mine surveyor's handbook. Now integrated into the Renishaw group, U.K.-based Measurement Devices Ltd. (MDL) offers a solution with its C-ALS (Cavity Auto-scan- ning Laser System. Renishaw claims that C-ALS can pro- vide the data needed to plan projects and design engineering solutions in situations where voids and cavities would otherwise make work dangerous or undesirable. It consists of a 50 mm-diameter probe that is mounted on a system of hinged, light- weight, 1-m-long rods that can be extend- ed up to 200 m. The instrument can also be deployed by boom or by remote-con- trolled vehicle. In-built sensors ensure the C-ALS can be tracked down a borehole and that the scan is automatically geo-referenced to fit into existing 3-D mine data. Once in the void, a simple click from the operator tells the laser-scanning head to rotate on two axes, measuring the 3-D shape of the void, with full 360° coverage and a range of up to 150 m. An example provided by Renishaw described the use of C-ALS in monitoring abandoned underground limestone work- ings in the English city of Bath. With a $250 million project under way to stabilize the workings, which lie beneath built-up areas, C-ALS has been used to survey the extent of the voids, and to establish the volume of foamed concrete fill needed. The system has also been able to identify additional places to drill, and to create a comprehensive digital record of the work. Renishaw noted that the cost of the system was paid back in just four months. Speeding Shaft Surveys The MS3 automated shaft inspection and monitoring system, developed by the Canadian company, Sight Power Inc., pro- vides a new way of inspecting and survey- ing shafts that has much less of an impact on operations than traditional methods. The company's business development manager, Dmitry Reznichenko, told E&MJ; that the system is aimed at regular—in most cases, weekly—inspection. 30 E&MJ; • JULY 2014 www.e-mj.com M A P P I N G & S U R V E Y I N G The ZEB1 handheld laser scanner produces 3-D images from data gathered at walking speed. EMJ_pg28-31_EMJ_pg28-31 7/1/14 11:46 AM Page 30