Real time mine monitoring system and method

A computer-implemented method for detecting changes in the ore grade of a rock face, the method including:

• determining, using a processor, an initial rock face image using rock face position information obtained by scanning the rock face with a range determination unit, each portion of the initial rock face image being associated with a geo-referenced coordinate and rock face range data;
• determining, using the processor, a corresponding rock face hyperspectral image using data obtained by scanning the rock face with a hyperspectral imager having spatial calibration parameters;
• and
• fusing together, using the processor, the initial rock face image and the corresponding rock face hyperspectral image by mapping each portion of a plurality of portions of the rock face hyperspectral image to a corresponding portion in the initial rock face image based on the spatial calibration parameters of the hyperspectral imager to produce a rock face position and content information map of the rock face.

A system for detecting changes in the ore grade of a rock face, the system comprising:

• a scanning system comprising a hyperspectral imager, a position system and a LiDAR or range determination unit, wherein the position system is configured to provide a location of the scanning system;
• the range determination unit is configured to scan the rock face to determine rock face position information, and the hyperspectral imager is configured to scan the rock face to produce corresponding rock face hyperspectral image data;
• and
• a computational resource coupled with the scanning system and configured to:
• receive the location of the scanning system, the rock face position information and the corresponding rock face hyperspectral image data;
• and
• determine initial rock face image data using the rock face position information and the determined location;
• and
• fuse together the initial rock face image data and the corresponding rock face hyperspectral image data by mapping each portion of a plurality of portions of the rock face hyperspectral image data to a corresponding portion in the initial rock face image data based on spatial calibration parameters of the hyperspectral imager to produce the rock face position and content information map of the rock face.