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We are committed to explore novel technologies that can enhance the value proposition for monitoring of geotechnical and structural projects. Our mandate is to deliver products that where possible disrupt the established practices for geotechnical engineering, many of which have existed for 50 years. We leverage Internet of Things core technologies related to sensors, micro-controllers, wireless telemetry (Bluetooth 5) and LTE-M/NB IoT, and micro-satellite backhaul of data to the cloud. As instruments and telemetry become more integrated, power consumption decreases, reliability improves and cost decreases.
YieldPoint’s advantage is to enable projects operating on a limited budget, to install more instruments that can autonomously stream richer datasets that will be analyzed using intelligent data management platforms to enable better design and construction decisions. Our instruments are easy and fast to install, vulnerable lead-wires are eliminated, individual readings are tagged with the instrument ID, and the transmitted data values are in SI units and fully calibrated. All components including data-backhaul gateways are battery powered and do not require instrument configuration. A smart digital architecture reduced instances of human error allowing engineers and technicians to focus on the geotechnical problem.
The transition to this inter-connected vision involves deep collaboration with other vendors and service providers in the space. YieldPoint pledges to be receptive to integration opportunities, and using our deep in-house electronics and embedded expertise enables us to be nimble in meeting our customer’s requirements.
Typical applications include:
YieldPoint digital instruments are based on our proprietary d-tech embedded architecture. Every instrument has an on-board micro-controller which performs tasks such as signal processing, reporting a unique sensor ID, and conversion to real world units.The result is a product line comprising of instruments, data-loggers, telemetry, and network gateways which is essentially ‘Plug and Play’.
Recent developments arising from the IoT revolution, enables us to integrate a wireless telemetry stack (Bluetooth 5) onto more powerful ARM microcontrollers inside instruments, to create what we refer to as a BluTech solution. Blutech devices run for years on internal batteries while beaconing there readings every few seconds. Any Blu-tech gateway in range can receive these extended advertising packets and backhaul them to the cloud over Wifi, LTE-M or a micro-satellite network. Up to 30,000 readings can be stored on both the instrument itself and the gateway in case the network connection is lost.
Fully integrated solutions means that the solution has never been more reliable! while at the same time, the cost of providing real time monitoring solutions for geotechnical projects has never been lower!
Authors: Samuel Freitag, Francisco Rodriguez, and Denis Flood
May 1, 2019
At Platosa Mine in Mexico YieldPoint dExto’s were used to monitor the back during the recovery of pillars. According to Samuel Freitag, the lead author, when the work was presented at the CIM conference(2019):
‘YieldPoint’s high resolution extensometers allowed us to monitor very small deformations. At first I thought that deformations less than a few mm were just noise, but because they appeared on multiple instruments and were synchronized with blasts we began to recognize and benefit from the high precision of these instruments”.
Working with consultants and researchers for the Colorado School of Mines, the project team at the mine was able to safely and confidently remove targeted pillars.
As low cost telemetry makes real time monitoring of geotechnical instruments a reality at most mines, the volumes of data generated by various monitoring systems have exceeded the capacity that can be handledby spreadsheets. Even standard SQL databases can begin to bog down.
VantagePoint is a geotechnical data platform (GDP) for the aggregation and visualization of geotechnical data. The platform is powered by a fast NoSQL database with a user-friendly API called DataPoint. The web-based visualization tool provides a responsive experience that encourages the user to develop cause-and-effect relations between instrument data, operational mining activity (Blasting events) and Seismic events.
As data accumulates in the system the opportunity exists to apply higher order analytics. Thus YieldPoint is actively developing +VantagePoint to help users unlock more value from the data generated through their instruments.
The solution can be configured using a cloud architecture or an on-site virtual server. Costing is scaled to the number of instruments and conducting a trial is a minimal expense. Pleases call today to so that you can take the pain out of data visualization.
YieldPoint also provides research services to universities and government agencies, usually involving customized solutions to critical components of large research projects. Research partners we have worked with include:
For a list of published papers click here.
YieldPoint Inc. provides provides Mining and Civil operators worldwide with tools, technology and service. YieldPoint's Digital (direct-to-digital) sensors combine accuracy and durability while keeping costs low.
700 Progress Ave
Kingston, ON K7M 4W9
613-531-4722
1-888-282-5784
sales@yieldpoint.com