Digging Deep Dialogue 05: Minocular

Digging Deep (DD) travels to India to spend time with Mohit Sahu (MS) a 'hacker turned entrepreneur' who is the Co-Founder and Director of Minocular . Minocular is an AI-enabled visual intelligence platform that solves problems and saves time for resource sector. He leads the execution of product development of Minocular. He has 6 years of experience in the field of information security(web app security) and 2+ years in research and design of various layers of the IoT and its predecessor technologies such as wireless sensor networks, and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication using Open Source technology. His domains of expertise are the IoT, Semantic Web, robotics, and web application penetration testing and android application security.

DD: Welcome to the Digging Deep Dialogue Mohit. It’s a pleasure to have you with us. Can you tell us more about Minocular and how your co-founding role played into what we know now as the Minocular platform?

MS: Thank you for having me, it's a pleasure to be here. Minocular is AI enabled visual intelligence platform for mining industry it offers tools for enhancing operational efficiency and sustainability within mining operations. It leverages IoT sensors, geospatial data, and predictive analytics to deliver real-time insights, predictive maintenance, resource optimization, safety enhancements, and environmental monitoring.

Minocular's technology helps mining companies improve productivity, reduce downtime, enhance safety, and minimize their environmental footprint. As a mining graduate who has closely observed the industry, I recognized a significant gap in technology adoption within mining operations. During my visits to various mines, I noticed that many were still heavily reliant on manual processes, such as pen and paper or Excel spreadsheets, with limited integration of advanced technologies.

This reliance on outdated methods often led to errors, productivity losses, and missed opportunities for improvement. Motivated to bridge this technology gap in the mining sector, I teamed up with my co-founder, Puru, who brings expertise in computer science and software development, along with a deep understanding of business process improvement. Combining my first-hand experience in the mining domain with Puru's technical skills, we set out to create Minocular.

DD: Please break down to us how the Minocular platform improves efficiency of mining operations whilst also giving indirect benefits on site control, safety, decision making?

MS: Certainly, here's a breakdown of how the Minocular platform improves efficiency in mining operations while providing indirect benefits on site control, safety, and decision-making:

Operational Efficiency: Minocular optimizes resource allocation, reducing downtime and enhancing equipment utilization, ultimately improving productivity within mining operations.

Safety Enhancement: By monitoring and ensuring compliance with safety protocols, Minocular helps minimize accidents by alerting operators to potential hazards and unsafe conditions.

Environmental Impact Mitigation: Minocular aids in monitoring environmental parameters and ensures adherence to sustainability guidelines, enabling mining companies to minimize their ecological footprint.

Cost Reduction: Through predictive maintenance and optimized operations, Minocular significantly reduces operational costs, thereby improving profitability for mining companies.

Remote Monitoring: Minocular provides real-time data from remote mining sites, facilitating quicker decision-making and enabling efficient management of operations across vast areas.

Data-Backed Decision-Making: Minocular's analytics tools empower users to make informed decisions based on comprehensive data analysis, leading to increased efficiency and performance optimization.

Compliance Assurance: Minocular helps track and report on regulatory compliance, simplifying the auditing process for mining companies.

In specific use cases, Minocular monitors weighment in real-time for trucks, optimizing loading for excavator operators, manages fleet cycles to optimize Turnaround Time (TAT), and combines fuel usage data with drone-based geospatial data to evaluate haul road conditions, directly impacting vehicle fuel consumption. These case studies showcase how Minocular directly contributes to operational efficiency while indirectly improving site control, safety, and decision-making within mining operations.

DD: From surveying, mine planning, drilling and blasting, production scheduling, loading and hauling, crushing, report and analysis and compliance, there are suit of Minocular Solutions. Perhaps through an infographic, can you please take us through the 15 Minocular Solutions and how they seamlessly integrate into existing mining operations?

MS: The Minocular platform offers a comprehensive suite of solutions tailored to the mining industry, seamlessly integrating into existing operations from surveying to compliance. Our cloud-based platform serves as a single, plug-and-play solution, allowing mines to address specific challenges without implementing the entire system. Our drone module enables users to upload and process georeferenced drone images, transforming them into detailed 2D and 3D maps for analysis. With advanced analytics capabilities, including volume calculation, slope analysis, and more, users can gain valuable insights into their mining pits.

Additionally, our AI engine analyses pit characteristics such as haul road gradient, width, and bench details. Once uploaded, these maps are integrated with IoT devices installed on vehicles and other equipment, enabling real-time monitoring of fleet and machinery performance. By combining geospatial and IoT data, Minocular provides insights for blend planning, fleet optimization, production scheduling, and compliance monitoring, facilitating improved efficiency and decision-making across all stages of mining operations.

DD: Your value proposition to the mining industry is an entire mining operations and real-time reports right on your dashboard. What can prospects expect from adoption of the Minocular platform and how easy is it to implement in change management systems of operations that have a traditional approach to mining?

MS: Prospects considering the adoption of the Minocular platform can expect a transformative shift in their mining operations. Our value proposition extends beyond providing an end-to-end solution; it encompasses adaptability for mines and quarries of any size. Being OEM agnostic, Minocular accommodates mixed fleets, offering a significant advantage over OEM-specific solutions. We recognize that miners are not data scientists; hence, our platform focuses on simplifying data insights, allowing users to focus on their core mining activities while we handle the data analytics. With a user-centric approach, our platform is designed for everyone from mine managers to equipment operators, featuring intuitive user interfaces that ensure easy adoption.

Implementing change management systems in traditional mining operations can be challenging. However, Minocular aims to ease this transition by reducing reliance on manual intervention through automation. By streamlining processes and providing real-time reports directly on the dashboard, we aim to make the integration of our platform as seamless as possible. Through our user-friendly interfaces and focus on automation, we strive to facilitate the adoption of our solution within the mining industry, ultimately driving efficiency, productivity, and safety across all levels of operations.

DD: Let’s get futuristic, what can we expect from the team at Minocular in the future?

MS: Looking ahead, the team at Minocular is focused on pushing the boundaries of innovation in the mining industry. We are actively working on implementing GenAI technology to further enhance our platform's capabilities. One of our key initiatives involves leveraging GenAI to address mining compliance challenges. By integrating GenAI algorithms, we aim to provide users with insights tailored to region-specific mining rules and regulations, ensuring compliance while optimizing operations.

Additionally, we are pioneering the development of edge AI-based devices designed to tackle networking challenges in mining areas. These edge devices represent a cutting-edge solution that captures data and processes it locally, at the edge of the network. By utilizing edge computing, our devices can alert operators to critical events in real-time, even in remote mining locations with limited connectivity. Furthermore, these devices intelligently sync data when network connectivity is available, ensuring seamless data transmission and enhancing operational efficiency.

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