Ontario
Mining Camp to House First
On-Site Virtual Reality Lab
Sudbury, ON - Laurentian University's Mining Innovation, Rehabilitation and Applied Research Corporation (MIRARCO) has teamed up with mining giants Goldcorp Inc. (GG:NYSE, G:TSX) and Placer Dome Canada (PDG:TSX, NYSE), to establish the world's first virtual reality laboratory (VRL) in an active mining camp. Once built at the Red Lake Mine located at Red Lake, in Northwestern Ontario, the facility will be used by the two companies. This creative space will provide a state-of-the-art research and development facility that will help with ongoing mining and exploration efforts.
Virtual reality laboratories offer high-end projection and viewing technologies, generally using a large screen "immersive 3D" format. The advanced edge blending provides a seamless three-dimensional stereographic image around the session participants, drawing them into a virtual representation of their most complex data sets. The size of the screen and the use of stereo provide a "relaxed intensity," allowing a project team to interpret and evaluate data without feeling tired or losing focus. VRLs are immensely valuable communication tools, using visualization to cull huge amounts of data and transform it into meaningful information. MIRARCO designed and manages Laurentian University's $1.25 million VRL, the first virtual reality facility in the world designed to meet the needs of mining and mineral exploration.
Goldcorp Mine Manager, Mr. Claude Lemasson, recognized the opportunity for their Red Lake operations. "Our results using the MIRARCO facility in Sudbury demonstrated the benefits that could be gained by using virtual reality on site."
Mr. Chris Bradbrook, Vice-President of Corporate Development at Goldcorp, echoed these thoughts. "The real power of the virtual reality technology is that it allows everyone to see exactly what the Red Lake orebody looks like. We are looking forward to applying it in several research and development initiatives at the mine."
Placer Dome Canada was one of the first companies to use virtual reality technology in mining exploration. It was also the first to link two virtual reality facilities for a live, cross-country collaborative session, coordinated by MIRARCO. According to Mr. George Pirie, President and CEO of Placer Dome (Canada), "Placer Dome Canada is proud to be part of this world first. MIRARCO's expertise in establishing virtual reality facilities helped to make the decision to go ahead quite easy. Red Lake is a natural location to try this, as geographical distances can provide economic constraints to hinder access to such technology. An on site VRL is the perfect solution."
For more information about Virtual Reality in the mining industry, please visit www.mirarco.org .
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| Jane
Djivre Business Services Officer MIRARCO - Mining Innovation jdjivre@mirarco.org (705) 675-1151 x. 5071 |