Dear Mine Enthusiasts, Explorers, Historians and Researchers,

I live in Pendeen, Cornwall and am looking for interesting underground areas to scan with my laser scanner (a Leica HDS3000).

The scanner is an old scanner but has a very good resolution (1mm). I also have a digital camera attachment to add full colour to the resulting 3D scan.

Examples of data I have collected from a single scan of a pump house are available here using an interactive viewer I have developed. The viewer only works on modern PC browsers and also iPhones. If the viewer does not work you can see a video of the data on the link below:

Online interactive viewer (once loaded left click on the pump house and move mouse to rotate, scroll button zooms in and out, right click pans the scene):
http://www.laserimagingcornwall.com/Data/examples/viewer.html 

Video:


The data I will be collecting will be posted on line and will be freely available to anyone.

If you have or know of a site that may be of particular interest to you or the community please could you suggest it to me.

This is a hobby for me so my services are completely free. The scanner I use is a high end survey tool so the data can be used for any purpose including very precise engineering measurements.

Many thanks and look forward to discussing this further.

Best regards,

Gabriel

My fulltime job involves surveying shipwrecks. This is done in a similar way to laser scanning on the surface but uses acoustic scanners. I am currently developing a small acoustic scanner that could be used in mines and indeed would be the perfect place to trial it. If there are any particular sites that may benefit from an underwater survey/visualisation then please also contact me. All this is outside of my work so is non commercial.

You can see some examples of my work on shipwrecks on the following links. If the interactive viewer doesn't work for you then please use the video links.

Wreck of the Breda. Interactive browser:
http://www.laserimagingcornwall.com/Data/examples/BredaMenuTools.html 

Wreck of the Breda. Video:


Wreck at 700m water depth. Interactive browser:
http://www.laserimagingcornwall.com/Data/examples/Cairnhill.html 

Wreck at 700m water depth. Video:

Have been recently involved in a project to record sea caves in Cornwall, many of which are connected with mines, generally using "standard" cave surveying techniques. But a big problem is that a disto which otherwise would be very useful is definitely not sea-water friendly so it is difficult to get good measurements in anywhere where it is not possible to take readings from dry land or a reasonable sized boat. In general there is only a need to rapidly get simple centreline & LRUD data, so cannot see a need for more detailed surveys except in a few notable cases, however.

Awesome! I bet it won't be long before someone comes along with places for you to survey.

That would be great!

I've got a good piece of equipment I just need some interesting things to survey.

Any locations I do survey will be loaded into the interactive viewer and made available to all online. Video fly throughs will also be made available to all.

Hi Gabriel
I'm currently involved in the exploration of Cambrian Slate Mine, North Wales. The size of the chambers it's impressive and a 2d plan doesn't make justice representing this place. My work concentrates now in the underwater flooded chambers, some of them are so big that walls and ceiling are no visible, it's like swiming into a big void. A 3d plan will give us a better idea of the scale of this place. I know it's far away from your place, but good things don't come easy 🙂 I live in Essex and takes me 4h one way. I'm planning diving the mine this comming sunday.
Cheers
Cristian

Cristian,

Many thanks for your message.

It sounds like an amazing place and very suitable for scanning to produce some amazing data.

Currently the underwater scanner is not ready but it won't be long before it is tested.

I can carry out above water scanning with the laser at the moment but unfortunately can't make the weekend.

Perhaps we can stay in touch and discuss further and find a more suitable time.

I don't mind travelling for an interesting data set!

All the best,

Gabriel

That sounds like a good plan. At the moment a next trip looks like will happen on sunday 17th May. I use to go there once every month :)
There is a closed group Cambrian Slate Mine on facebook, will be great if you want to join so we can keep in touch easier
Cheers

Cristian,

Keep me posted on your visits.

What is of most interest to your group regarding the scanning? The above water or below? The date for the completion of the underwater scanner is not yet set but I may be able to make mid May.

I would very much like to see some pictures.

I have requested to join the Facebook group Cambrian Slate Mine.

All the best and hopefully see you down there sometime soon.

Best regards,

Gabriel

Edit: I have found some pictures. Truly amazing location. Would make a very good 3D visualisation especially if we can map some of the underwater sections.

Well the interest of the group its to make friends and have fun while uncovering the secrets of the place 🙂 There is some work above water too, but the focus it's going under the water surface, where three levels are flooded (everything bellow main haulage tunnel).
The giant chambers as I call them are underwater, never seen something to this scale in any other uk mine. In one day I was just swimming alongside a wall and found a window which led to a big void :)
Your request has been approved . The group it's a young one :)
I'm personally very interested in the underwater scanner and offering myself for trials if necessary :)

All understood Cristian.

The initial version of the underwater scanner will work on the same principal as a static laser scanner. Place tripod in a fixed location either by diver or lower to the bed and then the acoustic scanner will make a full rotation to build up a model of the surroundings. Maximum range from the scanner will be about 100m so it could scan a 200m diameter sphere.

Will have to work out umbilical lengths required as presently it will need a dry end where the computer is but soon this will all be in one water proof module so umbilicals won't be an issue.

Look forward to discussing this further with you.

Regards,

Gabriel

A mate of mine is surveying all the flooded passages of Wookey with a waterproofed lazor distox!

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Wormster,

Is this an off the shelf measurement tool or is this something he has made?

Does it take discrete single measurements in the direction you point it in?

As it is laser does it require visibility?

Would very much like to hear more about how this works.

The advantage of using an acoustic scanner is that visibility is not required. The acoustic scanner we are using makes 256 measurements in a 130 degree fan 30 times per second so it can build a 3D model rather quickly.

Hi Gabriel. I opened the links you have given but can't see a dicky bird. I'm using standard Firefox so shouldn't be a problem. Can you help?

I've always thought the Blaenau slate mines could benefit from a good laser survey!

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Roger,

Could you tell me what computer specs and OS you've got and what version of Firefox. It doesn't work on everything.

It runs using WebGL which isn't enabled as standard on all browsers especially company purchased computers.

Does anything load at all?

Gabriel

AFAIK Dunc's using a lazor distxo/pda cave survey tool ina specialized underwater housing, as to how it works, I ain't got a jar of glue mate! I don't have gills, I suggest you have a look over on UkChaving in the surveying section, you might find a few leads there.

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Firefox 37.0.2
XP sp3
Processor 2.92GHz
RAM 1024MB

Should have said that I can see the webpage title in blue and the message "loading 1/10", but no images appear no matter how long I wait.

Roger,

It could be an XP issue as it is built and tested on latest OS and broswers.

You could try on Google Chrome or iPhone if you have one. Doesn't work on Android yet.

Failing that you'll just have to watch the videos of the data instead until I work out how to get compatibility.

All the best,

Gabriel

Yep, works on Chrome.

Thanks