Selected publications

• Using Generative Pre-Trained Transformer-4 (GPT-4), ffmpeg, and Microsoft Azure to Aid in Creating a Text-to-Video Generation Tool to Improve Safety Shares and Incident Descriptions in the Mining Industry

  Mining Metallurgy & Exploration · 2025-03-27 · 4 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• A Novel Methodology to Develop Mining Stope Stability Graphs on Imbalanced Datasets Using Probabilistic Approaches

  Mining · 2025-03-30 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Predicting and analyzing the stability of underground stopes is critical for ensuring worker safety, reducing dilution, and maintaining operational efficiency in mining. Traditional stability graphs are widely used but often criticized for oversimplifying the stability phenomenon and relying on subjective classifications. Additionally, the imbalanced nature of stope stability datasets poses challenges for traditional machine learning and statistical models, which often bias predictions toward the majority class. This study proposes a novel methodology for developing site-specific stability graphs using probabilistic modeling and machine learning techniques, addressing the limitations of traditional graphs and the challenges of imbalanced datasets. The approach includes rebalancing of the dataset using the Synthetic Minority Over-Sampling Technique (SMOTE) and feature selection using permutation importance to identify key features that impact instability, using those to construct a bi-dimensional stability graph that provides both improved performance and interpretability. The results indicate that the proposed graph outperforms traditional stability graphs, particularly in identifying unstable stopes, even under highly imbalanced data conditions, highlighting the importance of operational and geometric variables in stope stability, providing actionable insights for mine planners. Conclusively, this study demonstrates the potential for integrating modern probabilistic techniques into mining geotechnics, paving the way for more accurate and adaptive stability assessment tools. Future work includes extending the methodology to multi-mine datasets and exploring dynamic stability graph frameworks.

  PublisherDOI

• “Optimizing mine management: integrating lean theories and short interval control in surface mining”

  International Journal of Mining Reclamation and Environment · 2024-08-22

  article1st authorCorresponding

  https://doi.org/10.1080/17480930.2024.2392456

  PublisherDOI

• Transforming Uinta Basin Earth Materials for Advanced Products (TUBE-MAP)

  2024-12-31

  reportOpen access

  The objectives of this project were to quantify, assess, and plan to enable the transformation of Uinta Basin earth resources, such as coal, oil shale, resin, rare earth elements, and critical minerals into high value metal, mineral, and carbon-based products. The specific major goals were 1) basinal assessments and initial planning (Task 2), 2) basinal assessment for waste stream reuse with associated plan development (Task 3), 3) basinal strategies development for infrastructure, industries, and business (Task 4), 4) technology assessment, development, and field-testing plan (Task 5), 5) technology innovation center plan (Task 6), and 6) stakeholder outreach and education plan (Task 7).

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• IoT-Enabled Wearable Fatigue-Tracking System for Mine Operators

  Minerals · 2023-02-18 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access1st author

  This study explores the possibility of investigating operator fatigue via the use of off-the-shelf wearable devices and custom applications. Fatigue is a complex biological phenomenon, and both subjective and objective data are needed to assess it properly. The development of any application and the assessments of fatigue should be guided by psychological insights. The methods used to conceptualize and develop a fatigue-tracking application on a wearable device are presented. Subjective fatigue data are collected using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, while the objective data are collected using reaction time measurements. The development and testing of the application are presented in this paper. Data collected with the system suggest that such a system can potentially replace other, more expensive and intrusive approaches to measure fatigue. Future work on IoT applications will need to examine organizational culture and support to assess the effectiveness of such an approach.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The problem of conflict minerals: A review of current approaches and a web 3.0 inspired road ahead

  Resources Policy · 2022-10-21 · 14 citations

  review
  PublisherDOI

• A High-Fidelity Modelling Method for Mine Haul Truck Dumping Process

  Mining · 2022-02-11 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Dumping is one of the main unit operations of mining. Notwithstanding a long history of using large rear dump trucks in mining, little knowledge exists on the cascading behavior of the run-of-mine material during and after dumping. In order to better investigate this behavior, a method for generating high fidelity models (HFMs) of dump profiles was devised and investigated. This method involved using unmanned aerial vehicles with mounted cameras to generate photogrammetric models of dumps. Twenty-eight dump profiles were created from twenty-three drone flights. Their characteristics were presented and summarized. Four types of dump profiles were observed to exist. Factors that influence the determination of these profiles include the location of the truck relative to the dump crest, the movement of the underlying dump material during the dumping process and the differences in the dump profile prior to dumping. The HFMs created in this study could possibly be used for calibrating computer simulations of dumps to better match reality.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Introduction to the Special Issue “Advances in Computational Intelligence Applications in the Mining Industry”

  Minerals · 2022-01-05 · 4 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  This is an exciting time for the mining industry, as it is on the cusp of a change in efficiency as it gets better at leveraging data [...]

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Advances in Computational Intelligence Applications in the Mining Industry

  2022-02-11

  bookOpen accessSenior author

  This book captures advancements in the applications of computational intelligence (artificial intelligence, machine learning, etc.) to problems in the mineral and mining industries. The papers present the state of the art in four broad categories: mine operations, mine planning, mine safety, and advances in the sciences, primarily in image processing applications. Authors in the book include both researchers and industry practitioners.

  PublisherDOI

• The Problem of Conflict Minerals: A Systematic Review of Current Approaches and the Road Ahead

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2022-01-01 · 1 citations

  reviewOpen access
  PublisherDOI