Alexander Parshin
Scientific Director
Siberian School of Geosciences, Irkutsk National Research Technical University
Ph.D., practice professor, scientific director of "Siberian School of Geosciences".
Research interests: geoinformation technologies in geological exploration in their broadest sense - from the hardware part of collection systems to mineral prospectivity mapping using AI; ecological and geochemical research; robotic systems in earth sciences.
Author of over 70 scientific publications, 14 patents, and certificates for intellectual property objects, co-author of over 30 production reports, incl. with the calculation of reserves.
How not to make money on UAV-geophysics, or from integrated low-altitude aerogeology - to a new model of "technological" junior business
UAV methods are one of the fastest-growing areas of geological prospecting technologies in Russia and in the world. They can significantly reduce the cost of geophysical, topogeodetic and other types of advanced geological work. A number of companies have even chosen such technologies as their main service business.
The team of the Siberian School of Geosciences and iGeoDesign consortium of IRNITU developed a wide range of unmanned exploration methods - from magnetic surveys to timed frequency electromagnetic soundings. These technologies were never considered for commercial application as, despite their high profitability, they could not generate high profits.
This report presents the novel use of integrated UAV-aerogeology as a "technological junior business" model, where the results of developments in the field of UAV-ERS play an important role in reducing the cost of priority research of sites, and other deficiencies, such as the deployment of large field teams for geological and geochemical surveys, exploratory drilling with mobile rigs, mobile laboratories for chemical analysis, etc. - are formed as a result of a specific transformation of educational and scientific activities of the Irkutsk Polytechnic Institute. We want to present the modern possibilities of integrated UAV-agrogeology and show how they are used in the junior business showcasing several examples from the previous year.