#Sweden #Stockholm #Digital Twin #Vale #Hexagon Green Cubes

Hexagon's Green Cubes: A Revolutionary Approach to Mining Reclamation

Hexagon's cutting-edge Green Cubes digital twin technology is making significant strides in environmental reclamation across South America, particularly in partnership with Vale, the world's largest iron ore producer. The initiative marks an innovative approach to addressing the challenges associated with mining by leveraging advanced aerial 3D mapping techniques.

The Beginning of a New Era in Reclamation

Recently, Hexagon's R-evolution has initiated aerial mapping flights as part of the Green Cubes Digital Reality project. This phase is crucial as it focuses on creating digital twins, which serve as virtual representations of various landscapes, including those affected by mining operations. These digital twins allow stakeholders to monitor changes in biodiversity and evaluate restoration efforts effectively within the region.

Vale is actively employing the Green Cubes technology to assess new methodologies for observing environmental impact and restoration processes. The technology not only bridges the gap between technology and sustainable practices but also enhances Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting, community engagement, and educational outreach. By enabling better management of natural resources, Hexagon’s initiative reinforces the importance of sustainability in the extractive industry.

Advanced Technology for Detailed Environmental Insights

Hexagon's Green Cubes technology integrates various reality capture methods, including high-resolution satellite imagery, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), terrestrial camera traps, and acoustic sensors. By combining these technologies, the Green Cubes platform offers an AI-powered environmental monitoring system that provides comprehensive insights into ecosystems surrounding mining sites.

An exciting feature of this initiative is the hybrid airborne imaging system employed by Leica Geosystems, which captures both high-resolution imagery and LiDAR data concurrently. These flights are set to cover over 20 square kilometers, generating a digital twin that encompasses essential natural habitats around mining assets. The solution produces high-density point clouds exceeding 40 points per square meter, facilitating detailed 3D modeling of forest structures.

With this high level of precision, companies can accurately assess environmental conditions on varying scales, right down to ground-level vegetation and even small branches. These insights support mining companies in tracking biodiversity health, understanding rehabilitation progress, and managing sustainability initiatives more effectively.

Community Engagement and Educational Outreach Through Gaming

In a bid to connect with younger audiences and promote environmental awareness, the Green Cubes technology is also being integrated into popular culture through the game Minecraft. By recreating parts of the mining sites within the game, players can immerse themselves in exploration, learning about biodiversity, and discovering the pivotal role mining plays in reclamation and environmental restoration. In an initial test phase, a segment of the mine was virtually replicated on the Minecraft server, inviting over 14,000 players to engage with nature and technology in a novel context.

Proven Results and Future Potential

Vale's implementation of Green Cubes at its Mina de Águas Claras site has already yielded promising results. Following the initiation of this project, the site has reported the first Puma concolor sighting in a decade and the documentation of maned wolves through AI-enhanced monitoring. Additionally, researchers have identified 146 different bird species within 90 days—an impressive testament to the biodiversity flourishing at repurposed mine sites. With the recent introduction of airborne LiDAR flights, the entire area will undergo extensive 3D mapping at a precise 10-centimeter resolution.

Further expanding this technology's impact, another major iron ore producer, Samarco, is introducing Green Cubes across multiple regions, anticipating enhanced community involvement and future applications in sustainability practices.

Redefining Environmental Accountability in the Mining Sector

Hexagon is reshaping how the extractive sector approaches environmental accountability. With remarks from Erik Josefsson, President of R-evolution, he described Green Cubes as a transformative tool that fosters transparency from terrestrial levels to the aerial perspectives provided by satellites. By intertwining digital reality with the mining life cycle, Hexagon empowers its partners to expedite restoration processes, enhance regulatory compliance, and maximize value derived from natural resources.

For those interested in learning more about Hexagon’s Green Cubes technology and its impact on the mining industry, further information is readily accessible online.