SafeSight Exploration, based in northern Ontario, has won the Mining Technology Innovation Challenge sponsored by Rogers Communication, Dell, Norcat and the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI).
SafeSight’s proposal, to transform mine rescue underground by leveraging their mine rescue technology and 5G, was selected from 18 national competitors and four finalists. A panel of 10 judges chose from four finalists, and found SafeSight’s to be the most compelling and innovative application of 5G underground.
Chamirai Nyabeze, vice-president of business development and commercialization with CEMI described SafeSight’s approach as pioneering.
“Our team was humbled and excited to be chosen as the winner of this competition,” SafeSight president Mike Campigotto said in a press release. “Our passion for integration and our focus on mine rescue helped us put together a pragmatic – and boots on the ground – innovation that will transform the tool set we can put in the hands of responders underground.”
The 5G enabled platform will allow responders to reach farther and faster for search and rescue and will ensure that real time information is streamed to command centres and subject matter experts anywhere on the network.
Campigotto described the platform as a hub for emergency response.
“The 5G platform creates the capacity to stream critical data and information to commanders and two backup responder teams, waiting to rotate into the emergency,” he said. “This creates a more effective main rescue response, which keeps responders safer and ultimately has the potential to save lives underground by bringing emergencies to close much faster.”
The project brings together Rogers Communications, SafeSight, Norcat, Dell, and CEMI. The Norcat Underground Centre in Sudbury, Ontario, will be a key part of future development.
The project is scheduled for a proof-of-concept demonstration in the simulated environment at Norcat in the fall.
More information is here.