ENABLING SAFER, SMARTER, AND MORE SUSTAINABLE
MINING
A NEW ERA OF MINE SAFETY
As mining grows increasingly complex, Orica Digital Solutions’ GroundProbe is combining trusted technologies with dataled innovation to reshape the future of geotechnical monitoring. Ben Moke, Senior Manager – GroundProbe, explores the role of artificial intelligence, importance of integration, and why safeguarding people remains at the heart of the company’s mission
Writer: Lily Sawyer | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton
As Australia’s mining landscape embraces the demands of modernisation, technology is playing a progressively important role in protecting people and improving performance.
From a geotechnical perspective, this shift has been especially profound.
“The mining industry continues to evolve, particularly in the acceptance of ground-based radar technology as a best practice for safety-critical and long-term slope stability monitoring,” opens Ben Moke, Senior Manager – GroundProbe – a trusted name in geohazard monitoring and central
pillar of Orica Digital Solutions.
“What was once considered cutting-edge is now an essential part of operational risk management,” he adds.
This evolution hasn’t slowed as GroundProbe finds itself at the forefront of a new era in mining, defined by artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and advanced insight.
The emergence of AI in geotechnical monitoring marks an exciting new frontier for the company, which is actively exploring and developing AI-driven tools to streamline workflows and empower
geotechnical engineers.
As the volume and complexity of data monitoring grow, AI presents a powerful opportunity to help manage, correlate, and interpret this information more effectively.
Yet, despite the rise of AI, GroundProbe is keen to point out how it seeks to utilise the technology to augment – not replace – mining experts.
“It is essential to recognise that AI and automation are not replacements for domain expertise but tools to enhance and extend it.”
As such, the company’s goal is to
integrate the precision of AI with the in-depth knowledge and experience of geotechnical professionals to deliver smarter and safer outcomes for its customers.
“By combining real-time monitoring and advanced data processing with the deep expertise of our engineers and operators, we’re able to minimise decision-making delays, reduce manual inefficiencies, and ensure 24/7 responsiveness,” Moke expands.
This amalgamation of automation and human insight creates safer, more intelligent operations that enable GroundProbe’s customers to focus
on what matters most – making informed, timely decisions that safeguard both people and assets.
A LEADER IN REAL-TIME MONITORING
The company made its mark on the industry by developing the slope stability radar (SSR) – a technology that has since become fundamental to modern mine safety.
“GroundProbe pioneered the world’s first commercial SSR in the early 2000s and has since continued to lead the way in real-time geohazard monitoring,” Moke prides.
Today, the company’s suite of proprietary technologies includes SSR-XT, SSR-FX, SSR-Omni, SSRSARx, and reactive geohazard radar (RGR)-Velox, all powered by the MonitorIQ® Desktop platform.
These systems span real aperture radar (RAR), synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and Doppler Radar, serving open pit, underground, and tailings
operations.
GroundProbe also plays a central role in Orica Digital Solutions’ Geosolutions category – further comprised of RST Instruments, a global leader in instrumentation and structural health monitoring systems; geotechnical instrumentation innovator, Measurand; Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technology specialist, 3vGeomatics; vibration monitoring solutions company, Syscom Instruments SA; and the industry frontrunner in deformation monitoring, NavStar Geomatics.
“Together, Geosolutions brings together world-class expertise across geotechnical, structural, and environmental monitoring,” Moke asserts.
Beyond Orica Digital Solutions, GroundProbe also collaborates with trusted partners to extend its capabilities in advanced surveying and positioning, such as its ongoing
collaboration with Trimble – a global technology company providing world-class solutions to the mining industry.
This partnership allows GroundProbe to access best-inclass integrated sensors, software, and services backed by Trimble’s international distribution network for local inventory, maintenance, and support.
Its breadth of collaborations allows GroundProbe to develop custom, purpose-driven solutions upheld by global benchmarks.
“Our strength lies in this collaborative ecosystem. The combined expertise across the Geosolutions portfolio has allowed us to deliver tailored, site-specific solutions,” Moke outlines.
As such, the company can support its clients – who range from mining businesses to civil infrastructure operators – across every stage of their monitoring lifecycle.
CONNECTED THROUGH DATA
A key pillar of Orica Digital Solutions, GroundProbe sits within a broader innovation network that connects software development, data science, and unmatched mining expertise.
“IT IS ESSENTIAL TO RECOGNISE THAT AI AND AUTOMATION ARE NOT REPLACEMENTS FOR DOMAIN EXPERTISE BUT TOOLS TO ENHANCE AND EXTEND IT”
– BEN MOKE, SENIOR MANAGER – GROUNDPROBE, ORICA DIGITAL SOLUTIONS
SAFEGUARDING LIVES
“Being part of Orica Digital Solutions gives us access to a powerful ecosystem of innovation, underpinned by deep software development expertise, global standards, robust data governance, and dedicated data analytics and AI teams,” Moke asserts.
Another key advantage of the partnership is GroundProbe’s ability to bridge geotechnical monitoring with drill and blast engineering – two domains that were once considered disparate but are in fact deeply interconnected.
Therefore, to glean critical insight into optimising both mine productivity and safety, the company is actively developing solutions that provide a clearer understanding of how blasting practices impact slope stability and long-term integrity.
“Through Orica’s 150 years of experience in the mining industry, which now extends across Digital Solutions and Speciality Mining Chemicals, we also benefit from a deep understanding of the entire value chain – from resource extraction to environmental management,” he points out.
This kind of foundational knowledge enables GroundProbe to align more closely with its customers’ operations, anticipate challenges, and deliver integrated solutions that support better and faster decision-making throughout a mine’s lifecycle.
In 2015, GroundProbe launched Geotechnical Specialist Services (GSS) – a dedicated team of geotechnical engineers and radar operators offering round-the-clock monitoring to mines all over the globe.
“GSS has been delivering expert support to customers for nearly a decade,” Moke tells us.
What started 10 years ago with just three team members has grown into an international network of more than 170 geotechnical engineers and radar operators, providing 24/7 monitoring and insights to over 120 sites across 18 countries.
Today, GSS delivers support in four languages from monitoring centres in Balikpapan in Indonesia, Santiago in Chile, and Belo Horizonte in Brazil, offering a truly global service that’s recently undergone a major transformation.
“GSS has been relaunched under Orica Digital Solutions, marking a new chapter in our evolution. We now proudly operate as a fully sensoragnostic service,” he excites.
This means that, whilst supporting its own market-leading technologies across the Geosolutions portfolio, GroundProbe is also monitoring and integrating third-party radars, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), robotic total stations, piezometers, cameras, and a wide range of other sensors.
“Our expanded capabilities include both remote and on-site monitoring specialists, advanced multi-sensor
reporting for critical and long-term monitoring, tailored geotechnical audits, and specialised training programmes,” Moke explains.
This evolution in the company’s portfolio enables it to deliver more flexible, scalable, and site-specific solutions, ensuring that customers receive the best possible support – no matter which systems or technologies they use.
As GSS approaches its 10th anniversary, it’s not just celebrating progress, but setting its sights on the future.
“We don’t just monitor slopes and critical infrastructure – we help safeguard lives, protect communities, and enable safer operations. It’s a responsibility that defines our purpose and drives our innovation,” Moke emphasises.
REAL-WORLD IMPACT
One standout example of GroundProbe’s mission in action is its partnership with Mina Caserones in Chile – a site requiring real-time monitoring.
“Our impact can be seen in our ongoing work with Mina Caserones, where complex geotechnical conditions required enhanced monitoring of the open pit’s northwest wall,” Mokes details. With increasing activity along the northwest wall of the pit and wall movement exceeding Alert Level 2 thresholds, the site’s geotechnical team needed a reliable, continuous monitoring solution to ensure safe operations.
GROUNDPROBE –AT A GLANCE
OFFICES IN 14+ COUNTRIES
PRESENT IN 35+ NATIONS
GSS CREWED BY 170+ WORLD-CLASS EXPERTS
DEPLOYED 930+ SYSTEMS WORLDWIDE
SUPPORT FROM 90+ SERVICE TECHNICIANS
NEVER FAILED TO DETECT A COLLAPSE
“WE DON’T JUST MONITOR SLOPES AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE – WE HELP SAFEGUARD LIVES, PROTECT COMMUNITIES, AND ENABLE SAFER OPERATIONS”
– BEN MOKE, SENIOR MANAGER – GROUNDPROBE,
ORICA
DIGITAL SOLUTIONS
In response, GroundProbe deployed its SSR-XT radar system to provide high-resolution, real-time monitoring of critical wall segments.
“This was backed by 24/7 support from our GSS team, providing remote radar configuration, alarm validation, and data interpretation, which ensured rapid decision-making during high-risk periods,” he adds.
The immediate outcome saw the availability of vital data improve, enabling the mine to maintain full visibility of slope conditions throughout critical operational windows.
“The integration of our radar insights with in-field geotechnical
observations empowered the team at Mina Caserones to act quickly and confidently, reinforcing safety protocols and maintaining operational continuity.”
The mine site is now transitioning to SSR-FX technology to take advantage of its broader coverage and faster scan periods – part of a strategic, long-term monitoring strategy that GroundProbe is proud to support.
“This partnership exemplifies our mission – delivering precise, actionable geotechnical intelligence to help mines manage risk, protect their people and assets, and operate more efficiently,” Moke smiles.
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FUTURE FOCUS
GroundProbe’s future roadmap is grounded in continued innovation, deeper customer collaboration, and advancing its leadership in intelligent risk management.
“Our focus is to continue partnering closely with our customers to deliver best-in-class slope stability and geotechnical monitoring solutions,” Moke insights.
A key focus is the ongoing expansion of the Geosolutions portfolio across GroundProbe’s global footprint.
“This includes not only our proprietary radar and monitoring technologies, but also a broader suite of geotechnical, structural, and environmental monitoring products and services.
“By leveraging Orica Digital Solutions’ global scale, technical depth, and 150 years of industry knowledge, we are uniquely positioned to solve our customers’ challenges more holistically and
collaboratively,” he reflects.
Another major area of growth moving forward is the use of AI and data analytics to transform how geotechnical monitoring data is used in the field.
“We’re developing tools to help geotechnical engineers automate repetitive workflows, streamline data interpretation, and make betterinformed decisions,” Moke sets out.
As the volume and complexity of monitoring data continues to grow, AI will play a critical role in extracting meaningful insights and enabling proactive risk management – without replacing vital human expertise.
The company also has several new products currently in development, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in real-time monitoring and decision support.
“Ultimately, our goal remains the same – to provide intelligent, integrated, and site-specific solutions that empower our customers to
operate more safely, efficiently, and confidently across every stage of their operations,” he surmises.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the trust our communities place in our products and services. It’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly.”
Proud of the contribution it has made to mine safety, GroundProbe is focused more than ever on continuing to drive a meaningful impact.
“Together with Orica Digital Solutions, we’re empowering safer, smarter, and more sustainable solutions that help mobilise the Earth’s resources,” Moke passionately concludes.
Tel: 07 3010 8999 info@groundprobe.com www.groundprobe.com
