The company Photonic Knowledge develops analytical tools for the mining sector that make it possible to quickly estimate, on the sites, the assemblies of visible alterations of drill cores thanks to hyperspectral imaging. The patented hyper-spectral imaging technology makes it possible to identify the spectral signatures of the minerals sought for certain mineralization. In fact, drill cores are often irregular and broken and in addition to the textures of varied surfaces. These irregularities can cause artifacts in the spectral result that in turn cause errors in the interpretation and statistical analysis of the mineral content of drill cores. The objective of the project was to develop a robust 3D scanner that would digitize the three-dimensional geometry of the cores to properly treat or simply remove from the spectral analysis areas that could cause artifacts when studying the content spectral images. The mandate of Cégep André-Laurendeau was to develop a robust, inexpensive 3D digitizer, adapted to the technical needs of the company and installed and operated in the limited workspace available.
