For hundreds, if not thousands of years, the surveying and mapping of mines and quarries has always been one of the most challenging of all the industrial applications regardless of the current state-of-the-art survey equipment and technology. An experienced mine (or tunnel) surveyor was always someone that had to use their ingenuity to overcome many obstacles not found when working above ground. In many cases, a lot of the survey documentation was “stored” in the surveyor’s memory (job security), not on paper because until recently, it was very difficult to provide the required 3D technology needed to make its use cost effective and practical for a real time mining operation.
Over the past 15 to 20 years, the surveying and mapping profession has been undergoing a major transformation. From the analogue methods of measuring distances and turning angles — techniques that go back to the Egyptians — to the use of global satellite navigation systems (GNSS) such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) and perhaps more importantly, what is called 3D laser scanning or LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging).