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29 July 2019 | Story Leonie Bolleurs
Dr Martin Clark
Dr Martin Clark, the founder of the MAGIC (Multi-purpose Aerial Geological Image Classification) initiative. MAGIC can obtain geological and structural information that is critical for making informed decisions in exploration and mineral extraction processes.

Mining has historically been described as a boom-and-bust industry, where fluctuations in mineral prices could result in extreme success or bankruptcy. Successful mining companies closely monitor assets/expenditures, risks, and other parameters associated with their business to best ensure their longevity. In most mineral industries, there are a few competitors that dominate the delivery of a mineral resource. As a result, technological development, along with other factors, are critical to ensure that these companies’ business remains viable and protected.

This is according to post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Geology, Dr Martin Clark.

Drone technology: better, faster, safer

He says technological development in mining generally translates to how a company can extract a resource from the ground better, faster, and safer. 

Dr Clark believes the rapid development of drone technology represents a shift in the toolbox that mining companies can employ.

“Drones can collect a great deal of data randomly over vast or small areas within hours, historically accomplished by mapping campaigns which can last months to years. Drones can also collect data in areas which are difficult and dangerous for humans to get to. These include cliff faces or rock walls that are difficult and dangerous to get close to, as well as stretches of land where dense vegetation, inaccessible terrain, and even atmospheric dangers become factors which reduce or modify the scope of exploration work,” he said. 

Expanding application of drones

Dr Clark’s work specifically focuses on expanding the applications for which drones are used. “I assess what and how good the imaging capabilities of drones are, use the imagery to generate 3-D models to drive scientific observation, and yield results which can help companies to extract resources. This initiative is called MAGIC (Multi-purpose Aerial Geological Image Classification),” he said. 



“MAGIC aims to collect geological and structural information that is critical for making informed decisions in exploration and mineral extraction processes,” he added.

Dr Clark is not only the founder of MAGIC; he also drives multiple aspects of the initiative including education, research, and business development. 

In 2013, when he was busy with his doctorate, there was already a spark of interest in using drones to address geological questions. At that time, Dr Clark was working with remotely sensed high-resolution LiDAR imagery to better understand geological structures at the Sudbury Mining Camp in Canada. The interest became a reality in 2018, when he applied this initiative during his post-doctoral fellowship at the UFS.

Now and the future

“At present, there are no direct mining projects underway, but projects are expected to begin in 2020. Drone operation and image-analysis techniques are currently being refined for industry,” he said. 

Besides his work with drones, Dr Clark also work in the fields of structural geology, remote sensing, and geospatial data analysis.  

News Archive

Kovsies first with Clinical Skills Centre for the allied health professions
2011-10-27

 

First Clinical Skills Centre in South Africa on our Bloemfontein Campus
Photo: Rian Horn

The School for Allied Health Professions within the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently opened the first Clinical Skills Centre for the allied health professions in South Africa.

The multifunctional centre will be used for the practical training of undergraduate students in the allied health professions, which include occupational therapy, physiotherapy, dietetics and optometry.

The concept for the Clinical Skills Centre was the brainchild of the Head of the School for Allied Health, Dr Santie van Vuuren. According to Dr Van Vuuren, the Clinical Skills Centre not only addresses specific needs within the South African context, but also fits in with the current curriculum of the programmes within the School for Allied Health. She says the Centre is a symbol of quality and excellence in the training of undergraduate students.

The Clinical Skills Centre was designed in such a way that it can be converted into one or more lecture halls. It boasts the latest technology such as interactive computer screens which can be used for lectures. Most of the equipment students will use during their practical training is on wheels and can be used between different classes. The centre also has a stair lift attached to a banister to transport disabled people from one floor to another in his/her wheelchair.
 

Media Release
27 October 2011
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

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