Accessing restricted areas in mining operations is constant cause for concern. Although there are methods and systems in place to help with this, the need to reduce the number of manual checks being carried out before letting personnel, equipment or assets through, is still key to avoid delays in production and overall output. Adopting the right technology at this point can solve this, as well as reducing theft, equipment misuse and poor handling of assets.

This new ultrasonic wireless authentication solution for security allows you to identify, authenticate, track and give access to personnel, equipment and assets across the mine. The technology uses ultrasonic signals emitted by a standard smartphone to achieve this – and is just one of the many areas this product can support security protocols, and boost productivity and profits of a mining operation.

With a steady flow of personnel, equipment and assets - including temporary workers - passing through, mines typically rely on a mix of security staff, keys and digital touch points to control entry and exit. This is a complex logistical undertaking and any weakness in the chain of security exposes mines to internal and external risks, which can disrupt operations and can result in financial losses.

Restricted areas such as explosive stores, gold vaults, metal-processing departments, electrical substations and fuel depots, are just some of the areas of a mine’s operation in which this ultrasonic security solution could transform mining security operations.

With excellent results seen already in sectors such as smart building, this new technology has the capability to be implemented across a vast range of scenarios in mining security operations - with just some of these outlined here.

This ultrasonic secure authentication solution uses the microphone and speakers of a smartphone or tablet to securely transmit ultrasonic wave patterns, which can then securely unlock digital access control keys wherever they are placed in your mining operation.

The system authenticates and tracks everyone and everything that enters and exits through each secure access point, to give full visibility of everyone and everything in your explosive or asset store. It can be implemented on a mine’s vehicle fleet to monitor fuel allocation and detect any misuse of fuel.

It also offers a superior geofencing solution to WiFi or Bluetooth in terms of accuracy. It uses radio frequency identification to create invisible geographical boundaries on-site and can trigger warnings when unauthorised workers or vehicles enter these geofenced areas.

The software can replace or complement traditional security measures. It can be integrated into most third-party apps (iOS, Android, .Net, JS, Java) including existing corporate apps for example - making it easy to deploy, roll out and use. Its optimised server can support up to 1 billion authentications a day, enhancing the monitoring and management of all security protocols.

Further applications for this ultrasonic security solution are being identified daily with many ways it can be adapted to create a bespoke solution to solve challenges faced by mining operations.

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