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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

Largest group of financial planners ever to graduate from UFS
2013-06-14

Stuart James Milroy and Gerda Grobler
Photo: Stephen Collett
14 June 2013

During this year’s graduation, the Centre for Financial Planning Law (CFPL) conferred the most diplomas ever for this sector at a graduation ceremony. Five hundred and ninety four students received diplomas (543 postgraduate diplomas in Financial Planning and 51 advanced postgraduate diplomas in Financial Planning).

Top student for the postgraduate diploma in Financial Planning, was Gerda Grobler. For the advanced postgraduate diploma in Financial Planning, Stuart James Milroy received the honour as top achiever. Other top achievers for modules in the advanced postgraduate diploma were L Phillips, RC Claassen, SJ Milroy and L Wilkinson. G Grobler, TT Baxter, KR Smit and E du Rand were the top achievers for modules in the postgraduate diploma in Financial Planning.

For five years, the University of the Free State was the only institution that offered a full qualification to become a certified financial planner. The university is still the largest institution in this field. The Centre for Financial Planning Law (CFPL) at the UFS is also the only institution in South Africa offering the advanced postgraduate diploma in Financial Planning as a purely specialist diploma.

To date, the CFPL at the UFS has awarded 4 200 postgraduate diplomas and 710 advanced postgraduate diplomas in Financial Planning.

Donors who made this event possible, include:

  • Alexander Forbes
  • Old Mutual
  • Liberty
  • Acsis
  • Momentum
  • LexisNexis
  • Galileo Capital
  • PSG
  • ABSA Bank

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