Fragmentation georeferencing

A method for determining a location of blast fragments in a pile of blast fragments, the method comprising:

• providing a 3D imaging system mounted on an excavation device and viewing a portion of a pile of blast fragments and configured for capturing at least one image of the viewed portion of the pile of blast fragments;
• providing a positioning system configured for providing a location and heading of the excavation device;
• providing a processor configured to automatically execute program instructions to process signals from the 3D imaging system, including by performing image processing operations upon the at least one image of the viewed portion of the pile of blast fragments, to:
• identify a location in the viewed portion of the pile of blast fragments;
• determine the location in a geographic coordinate system;
• identify a plurality of individual blast fragments in the viewed portion of the pile of blast fragments;
• and
• determine a distinct geographic coordinate corresponding to each of the plurality of individual blast fragments.

A method of defining the geographic coordinates of blast fragments excavated by an excavation device, the excavation device having a 3D imaging system configured for viewing and identifying blast fragments, and a location determined using a positioning system, the method including the steps of:

• (i) calculating α from:
• α
• ≡
• R
• FM
• R
• FP
• where RFM is a 3D range between the 3D imaging system location F and a location M of blast fragments and RFP is a 3D range between the 3D imaging system location F and a location of a point P in the centre of the field of view of the 3D imaging system at the same level as the excavation device;
• (ii) calculating vM from:
• v
• M
• =
• (
• x
• F
• +
• α
• ⁢
• Δ
• ⁢
• x
• α
• ⁢
• Δ
• ⁢
• y
• z
• F
• +
• α
• ⁢
• Δ
• ⁢
• z
• )
• where xF is an x coordinate of the point F, Δx is a distance between point F and point P along an x-axis, Δy is a distance between point F and point P along a y-axis, zF is a z coordinate of the point F, and Δz is a distance between point F and point P along a z-axis;
• (iii) converting vM to mine coordinates VM from:
• V
• =
• Rv
• +
• V
• A
• ⁢
• and
• ⁢
• R
• =
• (
• cos
• ⁢
• (
• B
• -
• θ
• )
• sin
• ⁢
• (
• B
• -
• θ
• )
• 0
• -
• sin
• ⁢
• (
• B
• -
• θ
• )
• cos
• ⁢
• (
• B
• -
• θ
• )
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 1
• )
• ;
• and
• (iv) converting VM to geographic coordinates by applying the inverse affine transform to the mine coordinates to obtain UTM coordinates, and applying the inverse UTM projection to obtain geographic coordinates.

A system for determining a location of blast fragments in a blast pile, the system comprising:

• a 3D imaging system carried by an excavation device, which for each of a plurality of excavation operations or operation sequences directed to an in situ dig face of the blast pile is specifically configured for viewing and capturing at least one image of the current in situ dig face or a target portion thereof in association with a preliminary or initial stage or part of excavating each load or bucket of blast fragments from the current in situ dig face;
• a positioning system configured to provide a location and heading of the excavation device;
• a processor configured to execute program instructions to, for at least one captured image of the current in situ dig face or the target portion thereof:
• (a) receive, determine, generate, or derive 3D point cloud data corresponding to at least one captured image of the current in situ dig face or the target portion thereof;
• (b) identify a plurality of blast fragments within the at least one captured image of the current in situ dig face or the target portion thereof by way of performing image processing operations;
• and
• (c) determine or derive geographic coordinates corresponding to physical space locations of each of the plurality of identified blast fragments by way of processing the 3D point cloud data relative to the location and heading of the excavation device.

A method for generating 3D georeferenced point cloud data indicating geographic coordinates of blast fragments in a blast pile, the method comprising, for each of a plurality of excavation operations or operation sequences directed to a current in situ dig face of the blast pile:

• (a) sampling a current in situ dig face of the blast pile in association with a preliminary or initial stage or part of excavating a next load or bucket of blast fragments from the current in situ dig face by way of viewing and capturing at least one image of the current in situ dig face or a target portion T thereof;
• (b) receiving, determining, generating, deriving, and/or processing 3D point cloud data corresponding to at least one captured image of the current in situ dig face or the target portion T thereof;
• (c) identifying a plurality of blast fragments within the at least one captured image of the current in situ dig face or the target portion thereof by way of performing image processing operations;
• and
• (d) determining or deriving geographic coordinates corresponding to physical space locations of each of the plurality of identified blast fragments by way of processing such 3D point cloud data relative to a location and heading of an excavation device.