Project Title: Machine Learning-based characterization and grading of minerals and establishment of image-based mineral repository for the state of Jharkhand
Mineral mining procedures and technologies have evolved and advanced over time. Deployment of computers, digital devices, using image data in mining is one such paradigm shift/innovation which has been adapted by different mineral industries. Computer aided techniques for problem solving in mineral exploration and processing has become a need of the hour to reduce cost, improve productivity, and remodel/revolutionize conventional mining procedures. However, it is always challenging for mining companies to identify convenient digital technologies relevant with respect to their individual mines. Digital Image processing is one such technology which is getting popularity in the mineral industry to boost mineral processing and analysis. High speed internet and low cost imaging devices has made it possible to acquire image samples from remote mining/mines location and facilitate quantitative mineralogy. Moreover, machine learning along with image processing has been successfully used in a number of mining sectors. Such artificial intelligence (AI) based technologies are
capable of solving both trivial and complex problems and often surpass human intervention-based mining tasks. However, use of such advanced quantitative image analysis techniques in mineralogy and petrography is still very much limited. In India, microscopic examination of rocks and minerals is performed by a petrologist and mineralogists respectively, and has been a prevalent technique since long. Such manual microscopic identification and characterization procedures are usually time consuming and are also limited by personalized evaluation and poor accuracy. In addition, human evaluation of microscopic rock and mineral images limits the use of IoT devices and advanced artificial intelligence (AI) based techniques for mining organizations. Hence, synchronous use of digital devices and intelligent image processing-based systems can enable organizations to extract minerals in hard-to reach locations and under extreme weather conditions. Therefore, establishment of an image data resource and use of machine learning for mineral data analysis has become highly essential in the last few years. Such a digital platform would expedite Indian mining sector in optimizing operations, increasing asset performance and risk reduction in the context of mineral exploration and processing, mine exploitation (identification of new mining locations) and geological studies. Although AI and image processing has several applications in the mining industry, the proposal mainly emphasizes on the development of applications with respect to mineral processing and new mining location identification (mine exploitation). Accordingly, our project proposal focuses on the establishment of an efficient digital platform for Jharkhand region to collect/acquire, manage, and store image data sets for data analysis, sharing and reporting.