Lightning Ridge Opal Mine 3D LiDAR Scan (Possibly A Worlds First?)

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Syndyne

Shaun Galman
Joined
Apr 9, 2013
Messages
822
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1,064
Location
Lightning Ridge, N.S.W.
Hi all,

Thought I'd share a little project that Russ and I have worked on for a couple weeks on and off while he's stuck here in the Ridge due to us being isolated from all the current flooding for around three weeks now. It all came together nicely from an idea we'd been throwing around for over a year now. Given just how good the hidden iPhone LiDAR technology is, to the point that most owners (like myself) aren't aware that they have in their hands so we thought we'd push the most from it and see what happened.



You can watch the outcome above, or via thia link to Russ' Curiosity Mine channel over on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/c/CuriosityMine

I believe this is a worlds first for an opal mine. I've not heard of it being done here, or know anyone that has attempted it, but it will definitely be a handy tool for the future as A.I. and ease of use is implemented in all these areas to make the task more user friendly because as it stands you still need to be quite knowledgeable in the 3D software realms (just about to dive back into that myself after a twenty year hiatus).

I should add I did the full safety rundown and mine safety awareness briefing for Russ and his partner Sue before even stepping foot underground. We did film part of that along with several other safety related topics while underground so that will possibly make an appearance in a future mine safety-oriented video. I do this for anyone that I take onto the claim these days regardless of their prior experience.

I hope everyone is doing well given the current flooding situation around the eastern states. We had a trip out on the Castlereagh Highway towards Walgett yesterday and stopped on the bridge at the Sparkes Warrambool as it just became an ocean of water in front of us around two feet deep (it's still around four feet deep over the roads nearer to the major rivers around Walgett at this stage). We were still 10k's back from the Barwon river at the Collarenebri turnoff. We got some great shots and Russ got some amazing drone footage. I haven't seen it like that since the early 80's (83 possibly?). We're heading up north on the highway to the Weetalibah Crossing that fills the Coocoran Lake and on to the Narran River, either on the road to Goodooga or the Jim Haper Bridge at Angledool (where the Angledool No.2 Narran River flood gauge is read) for a look and some photos/footage etc. this afternoon.

Kindest regards,
Shauno.
 
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Fascinating video and post, Shauno. Modern smart phone capabilities, augmented by some high-powered image stitching software, are astonishing. So is your own work over many years in creating such an underground labyrinth.

Thanks for the flooding update, too. For those of us on the left side of the continent, the ongoing rainfall, flood and storm situation in the eastern states beggars belief.
 
Shauno that is absolutely fantastic 👌now we're ever more keen to get back up there and have a look. Kate and I have been wondering how you are going with respect to floods and the never ending rain 🙄

Kind Regards to you and Al.

Rob and Kate.
 
Fascinating video and post, Shauno. Modern smart phone capabilities, augmented by some high-powered image stitching software, are astonishing. So is your own work over many years in creating such an underground labyrinth.

Thanks for the flooding update, too. For those of us on the left side of the continent, the ongoing rainfall, flood and storm situation in the eastern states beggars belief.
G'day Grubstake,

Cheers for the kind words! All credit to Russ -which I'll definitely pass it on to him. The technology available currently is unreal! I can barely keep up with it now myself?!

I worked the area you're seeing in that claim back in early 2003. I used to move about thirty cubic yards a day by hand so you're seeing a total of four weeks work there. I always averaged around 100 feet a week depending on how much gouging was needed.

Yeah, we're all finding it a bit strange that most don't even know we're isolated up this way? I've only caught very brief news reports here and there on this area. The insane amount of damage happening in Central West NSW is of far more concern and warrants a bit more media attention understandably. 👍

Kindest regards,
Shauno.
 
Shauno that is absolutely fantastic 👌now we're ever more keen to get back up there and have a look. Kate and I have been wondering how you are going with respect to floods and the never ending rain 🙄

Kind Regards to you and Al.

Rob and Kate.
Cheers Rob!

We're very much looking forward to catching up again soon! If the Opal Bug didn't grab you before, then it may well after the next trip! Haha! 😁

All the best.
Shauno.
 
Absolutely mind blowing Shauno and I still don't know how you don't get lost under there. Wow that technology and knowing how to use it and to its best use is incredible. Congrats to you and ya mate Russ. Fascinating. Mackka
Cheers very much Mackka!

The navigation is second nature when you're digging it all out. All the lights, air pipes and electrical cables point the way when working way down long drives. I have definitely been in claims where you'd almost need street signs to get around though! 😂

All the best,
Shauno.
 
G'day Grubstake,

Cheers for the kind words! All credit to Russ -which I'll definitely pass it on to him. The technology available currently is unreal! I can barely keep up with it now myself?!

I worked the area you're seeing in that claim back in early 2003. I used to move about thirty cubic yards a day by hand so you're seeing a total of four weeks work there. I always averaged around 100 feet a week depending on how much gouging was needed.

Yeah, we're all finding it a bit strange that most don't even know we're isolated up this way? I've only caught very brief news reports here and there on this area. The insane amount of damage happening in Central West NSW is of far more concern and warrants a bit more media attention understandably. 👍

Kindest regards,
Shauno.
30 tonne a day GF really?
 
Wow, the mind boggles when you start thinking of the power of that tool, where you can continue drives, retaining sections for roof support, chasing seams if you're in seam country. and that's probably only scratching the surface. Your mind must be working overtime!

As a side note, we're finally heading to the Ridge at the end of July '23 for a week, bunking at Lorne. Planned for a few days either side of the Festival.

Cheers, Hugh
 
30 tonne a day GF really?
Yep, pretty close. Just off the top of my head, 30 cubic yards (24-26 cubic metres) would roughly equate to around the 20-24 tonne mark, though the discrepancies of moisture content in the opal clays and sandstones along with the hardness can cause it to vary quite a bit. The cubic area removed is generally taken as a 3:1 ratio when loose, which seems pretty right too when we've looked into it on and off for yardage.

Our old mining partner, John was a shovelling champion here from the early 70's right into the late 90's. He comfortably won all the comps against the other miners every year -back when they were all real workers unlike today where they get tired just from pulling levers on a digging machine. :rolleyes: He taught me the ropes and how to develop good technique from my very early teens and that eventually culminated with me pushing three (what I would consider) record runs here between 2005-2007 on days where I was working solo and feeling good, also knowing that I didn't have to stop to gouge as I was only putting in long prospecting drives looking for a change in the country.

My third and last "attempt" was back in early August of 2007 (the first Sunday if memory serves?) and was my best, but not by much due to the sheer mechanical hoist restrictions outside of my control. I ended up pulling out thirty cubic yards (three ten yard trucks full) in one hour and forty five minutes from a depth of 47 feet out at a field called Dentist Hill. I was about twenty feet in away from the hoist when starting, so quite an easy back and forth with the rickshaw. Most of that speed simply came from my good jack hammering technique and having a very hard hitting Kango hammer. The shoveling was always the easiest part for me, thanks to John, so that was never the issue. The ground there was fairly hard up top in the level, just under the roof at around head height, but manageable. The drive I started at 11am that morning was fifteen feet long by four feet wide and six foot six inches high when finished and I was back home again for lunch by 1:10pm.

Hope that helps shed a bit of light on the subject, Mackka. I wish we had the current phone camera tech back then. I'd love to have those runs on video, alas they're only my recollections of glory days gone by now. I certainly think I could still come pretty darn close to those times today, despite a bit of age and physical wear under the belt. The hardest part now is finding a good, solid hoist that would stand up to that work pressure. They just don't build them like that anymore sadly. I still have my eye out for one that I may be able to modify however? Who knows...

Cheers,
Shauno.
 
Wow, the mind boggles when you start thinking of the power of that tool, where you can continue drives, retaining sections for roof support, chasing seams if you're in seam country. and that's probably only scratching the surface. Your mind must be working overtime!

As a side note, we're finally heading to the Ridge at the end of July '23 for a week, bunking at Lorne. Planned for a few days either side of the Festival.

Cheers, Hugh
G'day Hugh,

For sure! I'm not all that certain about the logistics overall (which I had discussed with Russ quite a bit as we progressed the idea), but as a personal survey/mapping tool it would definitely be super handy. Just locating blind drill shafts or the claim border underground is a real pain, but this makes it far easier to see the relative position in relation to a drive or shaft etc. It's not easy to do a compass survey underground most times as we have electrical cables running along the drives and interfering with the magnetic needle, but this changes the game as far as that goes. It was mostly an interesting experiment if nothing. Always a bit of fun playing with this new technology when it's not causing immense headaches. 🤓

Glad to hear you've got the trip planned. Sing out when closer to the date for sure! Always happy to show you around.

Kindest regards,
Shauno.
 

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