Drones in Mining for Equipment Inspection Course
Online 300-hour course in drones in mining for equipment inspection. 6 modules covering Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 (UAS operations), Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 (unmanned aircraft systems) and DJI Terra. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Drones in Mining for Equipment Inspection Course — studying from New Zealand
Off-road and special vehicle engineering is a major strength in New Zealand, reflecting the importance of agriculture, forestry, mining and construction. Manufacturers and fabricators in the Waikato and Canterbury produce tractors, harvesters, dairy equipment and specialised machinery, many of which are exported worldwide. Engineers in this field work on design, testing and safety compliance for equipment used on farms, in plantations and on remote worksites.
Fees for New Zealand: NZ$1,470 (New Zealand dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in New Zealand
Typical roles
Questions from New Zealand
Which New Zealand bodies relate to off-road and specialist vehicle engineering?
Engineering New Zealand is the main professional body, and vehicle compliance is handled by the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi. Heavy machinery and certain specialist vehicles can also fall under WorkSafe New Zealand rules. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by any national body, so employers and regulators decide their value.
Who hires off-road and special vehicle engineers in New Zealand?
Employers include forestry and agricultural equipment firms, mining and civil construction contractors, fabrication shops, and emergency or utility vehicle fleets. Practical design, safety and maintenance skills are central to hiring. A SEIUM qualification may help, but its weight depends on the employer.
How does the study load work for someone with a job here?
The programme is fully online, so you can study around work from anywhere in New Zealand without a student visa. Specialist courses take 300 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and master's programmes 1,900 hours. You get an assigned technical tutor, and fees can be paid in instalments or sponsored by an employer.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Identify the applications of drones in mining equipment inspection.
Select RGB, thermal and LiDAR platforms and sensors according to the type of inspection.
Plan safe flights in compliance with European and Spanish UAS regulations.
Process images to generate orthomosaics, 3D models and thermograms.
Detect anomalies in conveyor belts, crushers and structures from aerial data.
Integrate drone operations into the mine's safety system.
Assess the costs and benefits of a drone inspection programme.
Who it's for
- UAS pilot for industrial inspection who wants to specialise in Drones in Mining for Equipment Inspection.
- Predictive maintenance technician in mining who wants to specialise in Drones in Mining for Equipment Inspection.
- Mine surveyor who wants to specialise in Drones in Mining for Equipment Inspection.
- Mining safety manager who wants to specialise in Drones in Mining for Equipment Inspection.
- Geospatial data analyst who wants to specialise in Drones in Mining for Equipment Inspection.
- Equipment reliability engineer who wants to specialise in Drones in Mining for Equipment Inspection.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter open-pit mining.
What you'll work with
- Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 (UAS operations)
- Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 (unmanned aircraft systems)
- RD 517/2024 (development of the UAS regime in Spain)
- RD 863/1985 (General Regulation on Basic Mining Safety Standards)
- ISO 21384-3 (UAS: operational procedures)
- ISO 17359 (condition monitoring of machines)
- ASPRS positional accuracy standards for geospatial data
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Which inspections a drone can take on1.2Inspection of slopes, waste dumps and tailings dams1.3Equipment inspection: structures, conveyors and plants1.4Inspection of interiors and confined spaces1.5Advantages over inspection with scaffolding or rope access1.6Real limitations of drones in a mining environment1.7Stakeholders: operator, inspector and asset owner1.8Fitting drones into the asset's inspection plan1.9Regulations for operating unmanned aircraft1.10Workshop: selecting inspections suitable for drones
2.1Multirotors and fixed-wing aircraft: fields of use2.2Endurance, payload and wind resistance2.3High-resolution visible cameras2.4Thermal cameras and their use on equipment2.5LiDAR sensors and photogrammetry2.6Drones with protection for interiors2.7Positioning in areas without satellite signal2.8Lighting and operation indoors2.9Battery maintenance and management2.10Practice: choosing a platform and sensor for each inspection
3.1Site survey and risk assessment3.2Permits, restricted areas and coordination3.3Mission planning and flight parameters3.4Overlap, altitude and terrain resolution3.5Control points and reference markers3.6Pre-flight checklist3.7Coordination with mining operations3.8Manual flight versus automated flight3.9Flight logging and data quality control3.10Practice: planning an inspection mission
4.1Photogrammetry: point cloud and model4.2Orthophotos and digital terrain models4.3Calculating stockpile volumes4.4Comparison between flights and change detection4.5Thermal analysis of equipment and hot spots4.6Defect detection with computer vision4.7Accuracy of results and their verification4.8Inspection report and evidence4.9Data management and archiving4.10Practice: volume calculation and change detection
5.1Risks of drone operations in mines5.2Exclusion zones and coordination with machinery5.3Loss of link and response procedures5.4Battery failure and emergency landing5.5Operating near structures and power lines5.6Extreme weather conditions5.7Protection of personnel data and images5.8Insurance and operational liability5.9Incident investigation5.10Practice: risk assessment of a mission
6.1Designing a periodic inspection programme6.2Frequency by asset type6.3In-house service versus contracted service6.4Programme costs and comparison with conventional methods6.5Training and qualification of operators6.6Integration with maintenance management6.7Inspection programme indicators6.8Common mistakes in drone programmes6.9Developments in technology and regulation6.10Final project: a drone inspection programme for a mine
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine study with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is DJI Terra, Pix4Dmapper, Agisoft Metashape, QGIS, FLIR Thermal Studio, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied using real procedures for thermographic inspection of plant equipment, photogrammetric flights at open-pit operations and operational risk assessment in mines. Assessment is continuous, module by module, plus the final integrative project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Identify the applications of drones in mining equipment inspection.
Select RGB, thermal and LiDAR platforms and sensors according to the type of inspection.
Plan safe flights in compliance with European and Spanish UAS regulations.
Process images to generate orthomosaics, 3D models and thermograms.
Detect anomalies in conveyor belts, crushers and structures from aerial data.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient Spanish to follow technical regulatory texts.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is between 10 and 15 hours per week on average, compatible with a full-time job.
You will work with DJI Terra, Pix4Dmapper, Agisoft Metashape, QGIS and FLIR Thermal Studio. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor will indicate the open-source alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM own diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrative project. This is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the advanced programme. Check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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