Minsait (Indra) is committed to searching for gold, copper, or lithium using artificial vision, 3D lasers, or digital twins.

Minsait, the technology subsidiary of the Indra Group, is using various disruptive technologies such as digital platforms, machine vision, 3D lasers, and digital twins to optimize the search for natural resources such as gold, copper, and lithium in mines in Chile, Peru, and Spain.

In this regard, the company points out that the combination of process automation through distributed control systems and artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the mining sector.

On the one hand, new digital platforms enable predictive simulations that optimize resource searches and increase competitiveness in global markets, while the combination of new artificial vision inspection systems (2D/3D), Lidar, radar, and other innovations facilitates progress in terms of safety to prevent accidents.

In this context, Minsait uses these and other technologies in mining powerhouses such as Chile , the world's largest copper supplier and home to one of the largest lithium reserves, or Peru, home to the world's largest gold deposit.

In Spain, the company is collaborating on the digitalization of processes at the Cañaveral lithium mine (Extremadura), which will allow the supply of this mineral to the supercapacitor factory in Noblejas (Toledo) to maintain the energy storage systems required by data processing centers.

In fact, this mine is part of one of seven projects promoted by the European Commission for the extraction of critical minerals in Spain, essential for advancing the development of new business models such as electric transport or renewable energy generation, as well as for the strategic autonomy of the European Union.

To optimize processes and ensure security in scenarios like these, the convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) is enabling the deployment of comprehensive control systems throughout the supply chain, the company emphasized.

In addition , ground-based robots and simulators are used to minimize risks to workers arising from work at the mines.

"Thanks to a ground or quadruped robot, mine workers can detect the presence of toxic gases in the air or anticipate possible landslides inside caves," said Fran Adame, director of Smart Industry at Minsait.

"Machine vision and three-dimensional lasers make it possible to detect things the human eye can't, such as the dust that precedes a collapse. Meanwhile, the sensors in this robotic model monitor ultrasonic noises and gases that are potentially dangerous to miners," he added.

Regarding digital twins, Minsait has highlighted that they are gaining ground in the mining sector because they allow for increased safety levels by combining their capabilities with those of simulators.

"The mine's operating machinery is large and dangerous for training future operators," explained Eladio García, Global Director of Manufacturing, Infrastructure, and Transportation at Minsait. He also noted that thanks to the simulators, these technicians can accumulate the same number of working hours as in a real environment, thus preparing them to obtain certifications to operate any type of heavy machinery used in these mines.

Furthermore, the private 5G networks deployed in Minsait projects for the mining sector have also opened up "great possibilities" in terms of the digitalization of mines by making it easier for workers to collect and analyze data without having to go outside.