Enhancing Dragline Operational Area Visualization and Positional Analysis for Its Effective Guidance Through Immersive Virtual Reality Inspection

This study presents an innovative approach to dragline mine operations using 3D virtual reality technology, specifically developed at the virtual reality mines simulation facility at IIT (ISM), Dhanbad. Focused on Northern Coalfields Limited, Singrauli, this research opens up the use of immersive VR for virtual inspection and analysis of dragline operations, aiding its effective deployment. The methodology involves capturing geo-spatial data using drones and integrating it into a commissioned dragline simulator workbench. The integration process combines drone imagery to accurately reconstruct the physical mine site. Enhanced by the Structure-from-Motion technique, the resulting model is a photorealistic point cloud, offering unprecedented visualization accuracy. The developed system enables complex manipulation of datasets, including functions such as scaling, rotation, and translation. It also includes geometric measurement tools for determining length, area, and volume, essential for precise operational planning of draglines. The application of Structure-from-Motion-MultiView Stereo technology is particularly noteworthy for its role in tracking safety concerns and monitoring dragline progress with respect to the stipulated balance diagram. The proposed approach surpasses traditional mine visualization methods, providing superior tools for onsite planning and comprehensive asset management and significant contributions for establishing a new benchmark for monitoring and visualizing the dragline excavation process in the mining industry.