GroundProbe, the innovative mining technology firm based in South Brisbane, have won three awards at this year’s Australian International Design Awards with their new product – the Work Area Monitor (WAMTM).  The awards are the highest accolades in product design in Australia. 

Vying for awards this year were 232 products, from household names such as Dyson, Audi, Peugeot, Phillips, Qantas and Samsung.  Australian and internationally designed products were physically assessed by a panel of international design experts, with 8 award winners chosen as ‘Best in Category’.

The new WAM from GroundProbe won the ‘Best in Category’ award for heavy machinery.  GroundProbe also won a 2011 Good Design Award and an Australian International Design Award.

The Good Design™ and Design Award™ trademarks are highly respected, internationally recognized, symbols representing excellence in form, function, quality, safety, sustainability, and innovation – the cornerstones of good design.

In September 2011 the WAM also won the ‘Mining Innovation Award’ at the Mining Prospect Awards.  The awards recognise organizations for innovation, efficiency and the way in which they push the Australian mining industry forward.

The Work Area Monitor - WAMTM

The issue of safety is always at the back of any miner’s thoughts, particularly when working in open cut pits with steep walls.  Walls can suddenly move and bring down huge amounts of rock, often there is little, or no warning and the consequences can be extremely costly, or worse still, fatal.  With this in mind GroundProbe developed the WAM, an easy-to-use, short-range, fast-scanning tool that can measure movement in walls, be operated directly by a work crew, and can provide local alarms with sufficient warning when wall movement occurs within the work area.

The WAM system comprises sensitive, fast-scanning radar coupled with a high-resolution camera, all built into a mine-standard light vehicle.  The WAM provides confidence, helps eliminate uncertainty, and is a major step forward in protecting mine crews from rock falls.

The WAM was launched in Australia in 2011 and has recently been introduced to the mining industry in Indonesia, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and the USA.  The launch program will continue globally throughout 2011 and 2012.  A number of mine sites, both in Australia, and abroad have now deployed WAM units.

About GroundProbe

GroundProbe Pty Ltd provides high value information to a global network of customers in the mining industry to improve the management of risk.  GroundProbe’s core competency is in the provision of slope stability information that makes mining safer and more profitable.  GroundProbe was founded on and retains ownership of the world leading Slope Stability Radar (SSRTM) technology.

For more information on GroundProbe, the SSR or the WAM please visit the websites below or contact:-

Sean Foley
Marketing Communications Specialist
Phone: +61 (0)7 3010 8983
Email: sean.foley@groundprobe.com
www.groundprobe.com
http://wam.groundprobe.com