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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

The King’s Singers: British double Grammy winners hosted by OSM
2017-01-24

 Description: The Kings Singers Tags: The Kings Singers

The King’s Singers regularly tour in Europe, North and
South America, Asia and Australasia. The group will be
performing in Bloemfontein on 14 February 2017.
Photo: Andy Staples

The King’s Singers, the acclaimed British a cappella vocal ensemble, are coming to Bloemfontein, hosted by the Odeion School of Music at the University of the Free State, for an unmissable performance.

Concertgoers from Bloemfontein and surrounding areas have the opportunity to experience this extraordinary vocal ensemble at the Dutch Reformed Church Universitas at a concert sponsored by the Arts Trust.

Named after King’s College in Cambridge, the group was formed in 1965, and for the past 48 years, their work, synonymous with the very best in vocal ensemble performance, appeals to a vast international audience.

The ensemble has performed for hundreds of thousands of people each season, and regularly tours Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australasia. Instantly recognisable for their immaculate intonation, vocal blend, diction and incisive timing, the King’s Singers are consummate entertainers.

The group’s repertoire has evolved to become one of the most diverse and compelling imaginable. They have commissioned more than 200 works, including landmark pieces from leading contemporary composers including Luciano Berio, György Ligeti, Sir James MacMillan, Krzysztof Penderecki, Toru Takemitsu, Sir John Tavener, Gabriela Lena Frank and Eric Whitacre. They have also commissioned arrangements of everything from jazz standards to pop chart hits, explored medieval motets and Renaissance madrigals, and encouraged young composers to write new scores.

In addition to performing to capacity audiences and creating highly regarded and much-loved recordings, the King’s Singers share their artistry at numerous workshops and masterclasses around the world.  

Double Grammy award-winning artists, the group were honoured in 2009 for their Signum Classics release, Simple Gifts, and again in 2012 for their contribution to Eric Whitacre’s Light and Gold album. Recently voted into Gramophone Hall of Fame, rave reviews and repeated sell-out concerts confirm that the King’s Singers are one of the world’s finest vocal ensembles.

Watch videos of the The King’s Singers:
The King's Singers - Overture The Barber Of Seville
2016 Pioneer Day Concert with The King's Singers - Primary Medley
A Christmas Songbook by The King's Singers

Date: 14 February 2017
Time: 19:30
Place: Dutch Reformed Church Universitas, Bloemfontein
Cost: R295 per person | R268 per person for group bookings of 10+

Tickets for the concert are available at Computicket outlets (Checkers, Shoprite shops), at the door, or online.

For inquiries or more information, contact Ninette Pretorius at +27 51 401 2504.

 

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