MIRARCO
Encyclopedia
Mining Innovation Rehabilitation and Applied Research Corporation, or MIRARCO, is the "largest not-for-profit applied research firm in North America."
MIRARCO is made up of three primary divisions: CEM, GRC, and EVO.
industries. CEM's primary concern is environmental sustainability.
CEM's expertise includes:
," applying its findings to "promote safer and more economical excavations at depth." GRC's primary concern is geological risk assessment and management.
GRC's expertise includes:
) groups. CMT focused on technology projects like Water-jet scaling and mine planning, while VREX focused on Mine Safety, and integration, interpretation, and visualization through its Virtual Reality Laboratory (owned by Laurentian University
).
The combined group now focuses its efforts on creating and using software for the mining industry. Its first major software product was the Schedule Optimization Tool (SOT), which launched in June 2008. The SOT uses a Genetic Algorithm
to produce optimal schedules for underground mining operations.
EVO also has ongoing projects in Virtual Reality
Safety, Mine Ventilation, and Long-term mine planning. In addition, EVO is building an open-source data visualization and integration product called ParaViewGeo, a derivative of ParaView
.
s, such as Python
, Java
, OpenGL
, and Processing
, and some of MIRARCO's lab computers feature the Fedora Linux Operating System
instead of, or in addition to, Microsoft Windows
.
, an annual worldwide celebration of free/open-source software. Robert Maynard, lead programmer of ParaViewGeo presented the results of a four-month effort to rapidly teach a group of seven co-op students how to program Python and how to use ParaViewGeo.
The goal for the organizations sharing the same location is to increase communication between stakeholders in mining research. Former President and CEO of MIRARCO, and now Founding Director of CEMI, Dr. Peter Kaiser described the move as sounding "primitive, but it's sometimes amazing how big the gap is across a parking lot, between a building and another one," and that "[if] we have these things all separated, we cannot reap the benefits from the integrated approach."
MIRARCO is made up of three primary divisions: CEM, GRC, and EVO.
CEM (Centre for Environmental Monitoring)
CEM develops "analytical systems and remote monitoring technologies" and provides "research and technical services" to support resourceNatural resource
Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
industries. CEM's primary concern is environmental sustainability.
CEM's expertise includes:
- Environmental Systems MonitoringEnvironmental monitoringEnvironmental monitoring describes the processes and activities that need to take place to characterise and monitor the quality of the environment...
- Remediation of Mine SitesLand rehabilitationLand rehabilitation is the process of returning the land in a given area to some degree of its former state, after some process has resulted in its damage...
- Environmental Data Management and Interpretation
- EcotoxicologicalEcotoxicologyEcotoxicology is the study of the effects of toxic chemicals on biological organisms, especially at the population, community, ecosystem level. Ecotoxicology is a multidisciplinary field, which integrates toxicology and ecology....
Research - Mine Operation Environmental Effects Monitoring
- Analytical Method Development, and
- Geological Monitoring
GRC (Geomechanics Research Centre)
GRC conducts "engineering and scientific research and development in the field of geotechnical engineeringGeotechnical engineering
Geotechnical engineering is the branch of civil engineering concerned with the engineering behavior of earth materials. Geotechnical engineering is important in civil engineering, but is also used by military, mining, petroleum, or any other engineering concerned with construction on or in the ground...
," applying its findings to "promote safer and more economical excavations at depth." GRC's primary concern is geological risk assessment and management.
GRC's expertise includes:
- Static and Impact Testing of Support
- Performance Assessments
- Support in Burst-proneRock burstA rock burst is a spontaneous, violent fracture of rock that can occur in deep mines. The opening of a mine shaft relieves neighboring rocks of tremendous pressure, which can literally cause the rock to explode as it attempts to re-establish equilibrium...
Ground - Drillability Assessment
- The Potash Roof Inspection System (PRIS) and the CRack Identification System (CRIS) (both are types of Ground-Penetrating RadarGround-penetrating radarGround-penetrating radar is a geophysical method that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. This nondestructive method uses electromagnetic radiation in the microwave band of the radio spectrum, and detects the reflected signals from subsurface structures...
systems). - BoreholeBoreholeA borehole is the generalized term for any narrow shaft bored in the ground, either vertically or horizontally. A borehole may be constructed for many different purposes, including the extraction of water or other liquid or gases , as part of a geotechnical investigation, environmental site...
Acoustic Televiewer
EVO (Enhanced Visualization and Optimization)
EVO was created in 2008 from the former CMT (Centre for Mining Technology) and VREX (Virtual Reality ExplorationMineral exploration
Mineral exploration is the process of finding ore to mine. Mineral exploration is a much more intensive, organized and professional form of mineral prospecting and, though it frequently uses the services of prospecting, the process of mineral exploration on the whole is much more involved.-Stages...
) groups. CMT focused on technology projects like Water-jet scaling and mine planning, while VREX focused on Mine Safety, and integration, interpretation, and visualization through its Virtual Reality Laboratory (owned by Laurentian University
Laurentian University
Laurentian University , was incorporated on March 28, 1960, is a mid-sized bilingual university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada....
).
The combined group now focuses its efforts on creating and using software for the mining industry. Its first major software product was the Schedule Optimization Tool (SOT), which launched in June 2008. The SOT uses a Genetic Algorithm
Genetic algorithm
A genetic algorithm is a search heuristic that mimics the process of natural evolution. This heuristic is routinely used to generate useful solutions to optimization and search problems...
to produce optimal schedules for underground mining operations.
EVO also has ongoing projects in Virtual Reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
Safety, Mine Ventilation, and Long-term mine planning. In addition, EVO is building an open-source data visualization and integration product called ParaViewGeo, a derivative of ParaView
ParaView
ParaView is an open source, freely available program for parallel, interactive, scientific visualization. It has a client–server architecture to facilitate remote visualization of datasets, and generates level of detail models to maintain interactive framerates for large datasets. It is an...
.
Open Source Software
MIRARCO is a supporter of open source software, and tries to promote use of open source software throughout the company. One of MIRARCO's projects, ParaViewGeo, is licenced under the BSD Licence. Many of the projects at MIRARCO are completed using open source programming languageProgramming language
A programming language is an artificial language designed to communicate instructions to a machine, particularly a computer. Programming languages can be used to create programs that control the behavior of a machine and/or to express algorithms precisely....
s, such as Python
Python (programming language)
Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language whose design philosophy emphasizes code readability. Python claims to "[combine] remarkable power with very clear syntax", and its standard library is large and comprehensive...
, Java
Java (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
, OpenGL
OpenGL
OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...
, and Processing
Processing (programming language)
Processing is an open source programming language and integrated development environment built for the electronic arts and visual design communities with the purpose of teaching the basics of computer programming in a visual context, and to serve as the foundation for electronic sketchbooks...
, and some of MIRARCO's lab computers feature the Fedora Linux Operating System
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
instead of, or in addition to, Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
.
Software Freedom Day
On September 20, 2008, MIRARCO participated in Software Freedom DaySoftware Freedom Day
Software Freedom Day is an annual worldwide celebration of Free Software. SFD is a public education effort with the aim of increasing awareness of Free Software and its virtues, and encouraging its use....
, an annual worldwide celebration of free/open-source software. Robert Maynard, lead programmer of ParaViewGeo presented the results of a four-month effort to rapidly teach a group of seven co-op students how to program Python and how to use ParaViewGeo.
Mining Research Cluster
MIRARCO shares a floor in the Willet Green Miller Centre with CEMI (Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation). An open-house was held on August 22, 2008 to showcase the original four research organizations to the public.The goal for the organizations sharing the same location is to increase communication between stakeholders in mining research. Former President and CEO of MIRARCO, and now Founding Director of CEMI, Dr. Peter Kaiser described the move as sounding "primitive, but it's sometimes amazing how big the gap is across a parking lot, between a building and another one," and that "[if] we have these things all separated, we cannot reap the benefits from the integrated approach."