March 9, 2021 – Vuzix Corporation, a supplier of smart glasses and augmented reality (AR) technology and products, has announced that global mining group Rio Tinto has deployed its Vuzix smart glasses at its Oyu Tolgoi mine located in Mongolia, which has one of the world’s largest known deposits of copper and gold, according to the company.
Rio Tinto noted in its 2020 Annual Report, that technology has played an essential role in helping the company keep its operations running, smoothly and safely, during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of this, the company stated that it has increased its use of drones and mine pit cameras, as well as introduced video headsets (including smart glasses) to conduct visual inspections of tailings facilities and equipment while complying with travel restrictions and physical distance requirements.
At the Oyu Tolgoi underground project, Rio Tinto has utilized Vuzix smart glasses in order to enable technical experts located around the globe to work with and remotely assist local teams on the project site.
“Vuzix Smart Glasses usage continues to expand across an ever-widening array of industry verticals,” said Paul Travers, Vuzix President and Chief Executive Officer. “Companies like Rio Tinto, which is a global leader in its field, continue to provide validation of the value and effectiveness of our products in real world situations.”
Rio Tinto is one of the largest mining groups in the world, with operations in around 36 countries globally. As well as remote assist functionality, augmented reality, along with virtual reality and mixed reality (collectively XR) have a lot to offer the mining vertical. Mining companies have been employing the use of XR technology to create digital twins of entire mines for mapping and planning purposes, or for viewing 3D models of mining sites and remote explorations for example.
For more information on XR in the mining industry, visit the Auganix ‘Mining’ categories page, or click here.
Image credit: Vuzix / Rio Tinto
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About the author
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.