Application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Surveying and Mapping in Mines: A Review

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is increasing in the mining industry because of the obvious economic and environmental benefits as well as reducing the risk to mineworkers. This paper presents a review of recent developments in relation to the applications of UAVs in surveying and mapping of surface, underground, and abandoned mines. Additionally, after detecting the barriers associated with the deployment of UAV technology in mine surveying, the counter methods to overcome these challenges will be discussed. Finally, the prospects for the development of UAVs are also considered. The results indicate that UAVs can be used for constructing surfaces, creating three-dimensional (3D) models, evaluating their accuracy, and conducting topographic surveying of surface mines. Additionally, this system is a useful tool for mapping underground and abandoned mines. This paper provides a technical reference for expanding the knowledge and recognition of UAV applications in surveying and mapping in mine areas.