A digital twin is useful only if the right people can access it when they need it. In mining, users work in many settings: control rooms, site offices, field vehicles and head offices. A single type of interface rarely suits all of them. This article compares three ways to access a mining digital twin: web, mobile and mixed reality.
Why Platform Choice Matters
Different users have different needs:
- Control room staff monitor operations continuously on large screens.
- Field supervisors need quick information while moving around the site.
- Planners and engineers need detailed views for analysis.
- Managers and visitors need clear overviews for discussion.
Virtu’s Smart Digital Twin Mining project for Petrosea was delivered on three platforms: web, mobile app and mixed reality. Each serves a different purpose.
This article describes the strengths and limits of each platform and the questions to consider when deciding which ones a mining operation needs.
Web Platform
A web platform runs in a standard browser on a desktop or laptop computer.
Suitable for:
- control rooms and site offices
- detailed analysis with a keyboard and mouse
- users in head offices or other locations
Advantages:
- no special hardware required
- large screens show more detail
- easy to share access across the organisation
Considerations:
- requires a reliable network connection
- less convenient for users in the field
Mobile App
A mobile app runs on a smartphone or tablet.
Suitable for:
- supervisors working in the pit or on haul roads
- quick status checks
- users who are away from a desk
Advantages:
- available wherever the user is
- useful for checking equipment locations and status in the field
Considerations:
- smaller screens limit how much information can be shown
- depends on mobile network coverage across the site
- interface must be simple enough to use quickly
Mixed Reality
Mixed reality (MR) uses a wearable headset to display digital content in the user’s real environment. Virtu’s XR and Industry 4.0 page describes mixed reality headsets as using depth sensors and gesture control to place holographic content in the real world.
For a mining digital twin, MR can display the 3D site model as a hologram, for example on a meeting table.
Suitable for:
- planning discussions around a shared 3D model
- briefings and presentations
- explaining the site to people who are not familiar with it
Advantages:
- shows terrain in three dimensions, which can make slopes, benches and elevations easier to understand
- several people can discuss the same model in a room
Considerations:
- requires headsets and trained users
- better suited to discussion and review than to continuous monitoring
Comparing the Three
Web is generally the main working interface for control rooms and offices. Mobile extends access to the field. Mixed reality supports collaboration and communication around the 3D model. Many organisations use more than one platform, with each serving a different group of users.
When several platforms are used, they should draw on the same underlying data. A supervisor checking a truck’s status on a mobile app and a dispatcher viewing the same truck on the web platform should see the same information. Consistent data across platforms avoids confusion between users in different locations. It also simplifies maintenance of the system.
Security and Access Control
Offering several platforms increases the number of access points to operational data. Organisations should define:
- which roles can access which data
- how users log in on each platform
- how devices are managed, especially mobile devices
- how data is protected in transit
Questions to Ask Before Choosing
- Who are the main users, and where do they work?
- How often will each group need to use the digital twin?
- Which decisions will the digital twin support?
- What network coverage is available across the site?
- What hardware is already available?
- How will users be trained on each platform?
Summary
Web, mobile and mixed reality each serve different users of a mining digital twin. Choosing the right combination depends on who needs information, where they are and how they will use it. Mining companies can contact Virtu to discuss which platforms suit their operation.
