QL Space

Disrupting the mining and mineral industry with Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence

The conventional method of mineral exploration is expensive and time-consuming. The early stage of exploration requires expensive drills with a long wait for results, and the cost and time are furthermore escalated by false results. QL Space is building a comprehensive model that utilises data from multi-sensor remote sensing satellites to produce a faster and safer method of locating and identifying buried mineral deposits. Additionally, by removing the need to house people in remote regions during initial ground searches, better commercial risk management is possible, as compared to current mineral exploration procedures. Further, QL Space is working to build a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) facility that will have advanced airborne and spaceborne capabilities.

Benefits

An integrated model that uses satellite data, sensors and historical data coupled with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) for efficient mineral exploration
Reduction of false drills and increase in exploration efficiency
Decreased costs and time for mineral exploration.

Technology

The QL Space platform is a comprehensive model that will be built with satellite data from multi-sensor, hyperspectral satellites, incorporating historical and geological data, powered by AI and ML. This technology will be a complete user-friendly model. The immediate outcome is a reduction in time and cost during early-stage mineral exploration. The model will also provide support for other lifecycles of the mining process.

Potential markets

The key market is Australia’s expansive mining and mineral industry. As its system matures, QL Space plans to expand the platform to other industries. The SAR project will have a significant market in the Earth observation (EO) community with applications for agriculture, monitoring, surveillance, defence and space missions.

Partnering opportunities

QL Space is at the early stage of innovation that has exciting potential for application and market. The first project, building a comprehensive model backed by AI and ML, will bring a disruptive transformation to the mineral and mining industry. The team is already in talks with the research community to collaboratively build sensors. For the second project of building a SAR that is both airborne and spaceborne, QL Space is working with teams that have experience in building advanced SAR for varied space missions. The advanced SAR has huge potential for the EO community.