IDS GeoRadar, industry leader in radar technology for slope stability monitoring in open-pit mines, has brought its expertise to the underground mining industry. HYDRA-U is a remote sensing monitoring system able to provide real time monitoring of surface deformations and management of ground hazards over large areas.

HYDRA-U provides the high-accuracy (<0.1 mm) and high resolution typical of radar technology to support geotechnical engineers in guaranteeing a safe access to working places of the complete mine structure, protect the major service openings throughout their designed duty life, and assess the performance of ground supports.

HYDRA-U is designed to trigger early-warning alerts in case of impending collapses to evacuate people and machinery at risk. The system can fit narrow spaces typical of underground operations and is designed for quick and easy transport and deployment in critical areas by one single person. With a scan range of 200 metres, even non-accessible areas of underground openings can be safely monitored for elements at risk.

HYDRA-U exploits the IDS GeoRadar cutting-edge ArcSAR technology, providing a spatial resolution of centimetres with updated displacement information every 30 seconds, automatically corrected for changes in environmental conditions (i.e. temperature, humidity). Radar heat-maps are overlaid on the 3D model created by the system by means of an integrated laser sensor. An optical and infrared camera improves data interpretation by providing real-time visual inspection of monitored areas.

Features:

• Spatial coverage: horizontal field of view of 100° and vertical of 30°
• Scan speed: a new acquisition is performed every 30 seconds
• Accuracy: line of sight displacement with an accuracy in of 0.1mm
• Survey: 3D surface model created by means of an integrated laser sensor with 10cm accuracy and 1cm resolution
• Weight: less than 25kg per each box (3 boxes total)
• Internal re-chargeable battery pack and line power connection
• Infrared HD camera operating under complete darkness
• Operates in all weather conditions and temperatures (-20°C to +50°C), IP65
• Alert generation with user-defined displacement, velocity and inverse velocity criteria
• Instant data processing and on-site alarm generation
• Built-in geotechnical analysis tools