Drone Magnetometry — A Smarter Way to Find Gold

virtualplant
Aerial Survey & Mapping, Magnetometer Survey

Project background

RemSense collaborated with one of the world’s largest gold producers to explore potential gold deposits in remote regions of Western Australia. Traditional methods, including light aircraft, ground vehicles, and on-foot exploration, were unsuitable for the challenging locations required.

The client wanted to determine if a drone-based magnetometry survey was feasible as a more accurate, efficient, and cost-effective way to collect the necessary geophysical data.

key challenges

Minimising Signal Noise:

Both drone interference and the swinging motion of the suspended MagArrow magnetometer risked introducing noise into the data, especially during slower survey speeds when the system was more vulnerable to wind.

Platform Stability:

The drone platform needed to operate with low electromagnetic field (EMF) emissions, carry the MagArrow safely, and remain stable during extended low-altitude flights.

Suspension System Design:

The original supplied tethers (four cords with a rubber sheath) offered little control, creating fore-aft oscillation and yaw. Reducing this movement without transferring destabilising forces back to the drone was critical.

Extensive Testing & Refinement:

Multiple design iterations were required to balance clear sensor data with safe drone flight characteristics, while withstanding harsh operational environments.

Our Solution

RemSense took a step-by-step engineering approach, refining the suspension system through four design generations:

Designs 1-2: Introduced horizontal bracing and improved fore-aft control, but yaw remained and pendulum energy was transferred to the drone, affecting flight performance.
Design 3: Relocated the point of attachment to the drone’s centre of gravity and added hydraulic damping. This reduced fore-aft energy transfer, but yaw control was still limited.
Design 4 (Final): Implemented articulated X-bracing with a hydraulically dampened centre attachment. This configuration provided excellent yaw and oscillation control while preserving safe flight behaviour.

The final system offered:

Stable flight characteristics with reduced lead-in/out runs
Cleaner data collection, even at slower mapping speeds
The ability to run photogrammetry-style missions (stop and turn) for extended capture time

By integrating platform selection, suspension optimisation, and iterative validation, RemSense developed a reliable, client-ready drone magnetometry solution.

Results

Initial Trials: Confirmed technical feasibility and operational readiness in controlled conditions.
Survey Scale: Completed over 800 flights covering more than 600 square kilometres.
Technology Innovation: Developed a custom MagArrow suspension system that significantly reduced noise and improved data quality.
Operational Efficiency: Achieved faster, safer, and more cost-effective surveys compared to traditional methods.
Impact: Enabled the client to identify potential gold deposits with minimal environmental disturbance and reduced operational costs.