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UNEXUP

LPRC organizing the UNEXUP Final Conference!

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The UNEXUP project, funded by EIT RawMaterials, held its final conference in Brussels – Belgium, on 18th November 2022. This event was organized by the La Palma Research Centre.

With the objective to present the project’s outcomes, robotic development, field missions and commercialization of the unique technology, participants also had the opportunity to watch the UX-1Neo robot in action inside the pool of Nemo33. LPRC chose Nemo33 as the venue for the event, which is a diving school with the necessary facilities to deploy UX-1Neo underwater.

The event kickstarted with welcome words given by the project coordinator (Norbert Zajzon), followed by a presentation about the overview and progress of the UNEXUP project during the last three years. The next presentation was dedicated to the complete evolution of the robotic technology: from the UX-1 that was built during the UNEXMIN project, to the UX-1Neo – developed during UNEXUP. After that, the CEO of UNEXMIN GeoRobotics (UGR) covered the field missions and main results that were achieved, as well as the commercialization of the spatial and geoscientific surveying missions beyond the UNEXUP lifetime. The final talk was about the post-processing & geological interpretation of the data collected by the robot. Finally, for the last session of the conference, the demonstration of UX-1Neo performing underwater autonomously in Nemo33 pool, was done.

The UNEXUP Final Conference was a successful event for the consortium to present to the audience what was accomplished in the past three years, and to discuss about the future of the technology and the consortium. LPRC is glad to be part of this project and to have organised such a successful event!

UNEXUP Consortium Meeting, Ljubljana, July 2022

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The UNEXUP project partners met in Ljubljana – Slovenia, as well as online, for the 5th progress meeting. The hybrid event was held on 5 and 6 July 2022, with the purpose of discussing what has been achieved in the past semester (since the last Progress Meeting in January 2022), and to plan the activities to be completed until the end of the project – in December 2022.

The meeting started with a clustering workshop between the UNEXUP, ROBOMINERS and Pipebots projects. After that, the Work Package leaders presented their work, followed by short discussions about the covered topics – which closed the first day of the event. On the 6th of July the meetings resumed with open discussions about post-processing of underwater images, the draft agenda of the UNEXUP Final Conference, as well as a visit to the facilities of the partner – and host of the event – GeoZS (Geological Survey of Slovenia).

In this opportunity, LPRC (portrayed by Marcio Tameirão) presented the progress of Work Package 4: Communication, dissemination and outreach, which it leads. The talk covered the updates on the main tasks, such as communication and dissemination management; production of outreach materials; and collaboration with the promotion of UGR (UNEXMIN GeoRobotics) services, the commercialization partner in UNEXUP. The main topic of discussions was the UNEXUP Final Conference, which is planned to happen in November 2022 – in Brussels, Belgium. The partners reviewed the draft agenda that was presented, and jointly made improvements – which will be further discussed in the upcoming months.

July 2022 clustering 1
July 2022 clustering 1

This event was the last official Progress Meeting before the UNEXUP Final Conference. In the next months there will be further robotic developments and field missions, and you can stay tuned by following UNEXUP on social media and through the project website!

LPRC presents its projects during the EGU General Assembly 2022

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Similarly to previous EGU editions, La Palma Research Centre took part in this year’s EGU General Assembly. LPRC presented 4 of its EU projects: UNEXUP, ROBOMINERS, ENGIE and CROWDTHERMAL.

This time, the EGU General Assembly was hosted in an hybrid format. All LPRC projects were presented online in 5-minute style presentations followed by questions made by the online and in person participants. Find our views and more information on each of our presentation below:

UNEXUP (Session ERE4.4 – Automation and robotics for raw material exploration and production in Europe)

  • Abstract & Information
  • Number of attendes: 12 online + 10 in person
  • Questions and discussion: How deep can the UX robot dive? For how long can it work?

ROBOMINERS (Session ERE4.4 – Automation and robotics for raw material exploration and production in Europe)

  • Abstract & Information
  • Number of attendes: 12 online + 10 in person
  • Questions and discussion: What type of minerals can be mined with ROBOMINERS? What is the state of the technology? When will the first field results come out?

ENGIE (Session EOS3.1 – Promoting and supporting equality, diversity and inclusion in the geosciences)

  • Abstract & Information
  • Number of attendes: 36 online + 18 in person
  • Questions and discussion: No questions during the session, but a few participants promised to send an email for follow-up discussions.

CROWDTHERMAL (Session ERE2.5 – Exploration, utilization and monitoring of conventional and unconventional geothermal resources)

For now, it is still possible to have a look at the uploaded project material – just click on the project links above and get more information on these projects!

LPRC members participate in a joint Clustering workshop with PIPEBOTS/UNEXUP/ROBOMINERS

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La Palma Research Centre participated in a recent tri-project clustering event. The clustering action, mainl developed by the PIPEBOTS project with help from the UNEXUP and ROBOMINERS projects (where LPRC is a partner), focused on robotics-related discussions, especially with the use of robotics in harsh environments.

Prior to the clustering event, thematic videos on the three projects were submitted in advance for consultation. The videos worked around presenting the projects and connected to specific themes such as Communications and power, Autonomy, and Navigation. A total of twenty-two participants were present to discuss the projects and robotics themes. LPRC was represented by two members.

This Clustering event, after an interesting debate, showcased that there are development and implementation issues common to the three projects and that a good way to move forward is to join forces and share best ideas. There is also the possibility to organise a new joint clustering and dissemination event for further collaboration.

LPRC is co-responsible for the Clustering actions within the ROBOMINERS project and leads the Communication and Dissemination efforts in UNEXUP.

LPRC contributes to the 4th UNEXUP Progress meeting

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The UNEXUP consortium had the opportunity to meet in person for the first time since the kick-off-meeting of the project, held in Budapest, Hungary, in early February 2020. During this period of time, three Progress Meetings were held online, due to the travel restrictions and different phases related to the ongoing pandemic that Europe is facing.

The 4th Progress Meeting took place in Porto, Portugal, on 25-26 January 2022, hosted by the partner INESC TEC. The event was hybrid, and the attendance comprised participants both in person and in virtual mode. The first day of the event was initiated with welcome words and practicalities by the UNEXUP Coordinator Norbert Zajzon, followed by a short presentation about general aspects of the project. After that, the Work Package (WP) leaders were invited to present the progress and future steps of their activities.

LPRC is the leader of WP4 – Communication, dissemination and outreach, whose tasks are related to the communication & dissemination management, development and maintenance of the outreach tools, and raising market interest. In this context, Márcio Tameirão presented the past, current, and future activities and tools to support the work plan. In addition, LPRC’s work in WPs 0 (Market strategy and business development portfolio) and 2 (Pilots) were also reflected in their respective presentations. This session was followed by an open discussion and input from the Advisory Board of the project.

The UNEXUP Final Conference will be held in Brussels, Belgium, and LPRC will provide support related to organization and planning of the agenda and venue. It will be a great opportunity to showcase the robot and engage with stakeholders and potential customers of the exploration service in the final months of the project.

Follow the project on the website for more news.

UNEXMIN GeoRobotics

LPRC representing UNEXUP at RawMat2021!

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From 5 – 9 September 2021 the academic community, engineers, scientists, industry executives, stakeholders and policy makers, and other professionals in the field of raw materials have attended the RawMat2021 Conference, an event that took place both in virtual and in person formats. The International Conference on Raw Materials and Circular Economy was held in Athens, Greece, and it was mostly focused on the technological developments and future challenges regarding Raw Materials, with emphasis given on Circular Economy aspects. In this opportunity, the abstract submitted by the UNEXUP consortium was approved to be presented at the event.

As Work Package Leader on Communication and Dissemination (WP4), LPRC represented UNEXUP at the event. The presentation titled “UNEXUP, a robot-based surveying technology for flooded mines and other underwater structures” was held on 6 September, under SESSION A4 – Mine of the future and transition to Industry 4.0. It covered the overall details of the project, the robotic technology, commercialization, and also the four field missions that took place in the past months.

Márcio Tameirão presented the UNEXUP project at RawMat2021.

The reports and webpages dedicated to the field missions of the UNEXUP project are under development, and LPRC will publish them on the website and share on social media whenever they become available. Meanwhile, follow the project news on the website and Social Media (@UNEXUP)!

LPRC projects at EGU 2021

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This year, following the company’s tradition to present its projects at the EGU General Assembly – 2017, 2019 and 2020 -, LPRC will present and discuss five projects on this year’s edition. Due to the travel and health restrictions in place the event will be held online.

The EGU 2021 event (#vEGU21) will host presentations in a unique style: each abstract will be given a 2-minute timeslot  to make a quick presentation based on a 1-slide presentation. After that, participants can enter chat rooms to discuss the abstract and the presentations with the authors.

Below you can find the projects and materials that LPRC will present during the EGU 2021 online event:

Feel free to have a look at the projects and materials provided and join the discussion at the given times – science is for everyone!

UNEXMIN GeoRobotics

LPRC at UNEXUP’s 2nd Progress Meeting

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On Wednesday (03/02) the UNEXUP consortium held the Second Progress meeting (online). The purpose of Progress Meetings is to discuss and update the work accomplished within each of the Work Packages, and to collect input from the Advisory Board regarding the future steps to be pursued. In this opportunity, the WP leaders presented their work, followed by questions and an open discussion about specific topics to be prioritized in the upcoming weeks and months.

As Work Package Leader on Communication, dissemination and outreach – WP4, LPRC (Márcio Tameirão) presented the main activities, reports, events and outreach materials related to the tasks that LPRC is responsible for: Communication and dissemination management, Outreach support toolkit, and Increasing market interest. The presentation covered the upcoming plans on the communication strategy, which will be strongly connected with the Work Package responsible for the commercialization of the UNEXUP technology (UNEXMIN GeoRobotics). New materials will be developed, and the messaging will be progressively changed from “awareness raising” to “advertising”, as new robotic advancements are achieved by the technology developers of the project.

The Work Package 4 present by LPRC

LPRC during 2020 – a summary

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The past year was an atypical one, there is no denying it. Despite the many problems posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, LPRC still managed to keep up with its work plans. All team activities – where the EU-funded projects are of most importance – ran successfully. Although not without a certain degree of adaptation. A quick summary of our activities on each of our EU projects during 2020 is given below:

INTERMIN: LPRC participated in the project’s main discussions and contributed with dissemination activities. The team’s biggest workshare was done in 2019 regarding WP2 – Raw Materials Sector Skills, Gaps and Needs.

MACARONIGHT: In 2020, LPRC coordinated the second installment of  the MACARONIGHT project after its success in 2o19. Coordination included preparation and monitoring of activities in different islands as well as analysis of the outcomes.

PRO-ACT: For this space project, LPRC contributed with geological information for the preparation of the lunar analogues where the robotic elements shall be tested during 2021. LPRC also presented the project during the EGU 2020 event.

ROBOMINERS: LPRC leads WP8 – Active clustering and roadmapping – and during 2020 the team contributed to the exchange of information with several projects and initiatives, kickstarted Focus Groups discussions and launched the Horizon Scanning activities. LPRC also contributed with the dissemination of the project at several opportunities.

AGEO: Within AGEO, the team leads communication and dissemination efforts. In 2020, besides the outreach efforts, LPRC also contributed to strengthening the impact of the project by leveraging communication with other EU projects and initiatives.

CROWDTHERMAL: During 2020, LPRC’s role was two-fold. First, the team largely contributed to the communication efforts with the management of social media channels and preparation of material such as factsheets. Second, LPRC kickstarted activities for WP4 – Integrated Development Schemes, which it leads.

ENGIE: LPRC started discussions and prepared ENGIE-related activities for the Researchers Night in 2020. For this task, LPRC hosted a high number of (online) workshops. The team also contributed with dissemination of the project, as seen with its participation on the EGU 2020 event.

UNEXUP: Continuing LPRC’s tasks from UNEXMIN, in UNEXUP the team also leads dissemination efforts. Therefore, LPRC was responsible for the development of all outreach material – both online and physical. Another important task, was the team’s contribution to the market analysis and go-to-market strategy set for the project’s implementation.

MOBI-US: Within this education-based project LPRC had two main tasks. It led outreach efforts during the whole year with the development and implementation of dissemination actions. The other relevant task was the contribution to the major guidelines for the implementation of the MOBI-US network. Here, LPRC contributed with an extensive analysis on the current and future gaps of the raw materials sector.

Besides contributing to EU-projects LPRC was also active in other areas including policy analysis, science communication and use of foresight methodologies.

We hope to have an even better 2021 with more projects and more work!

LPRC presenting UNEXUP to Instituto Superior Técnico – TÉCNICO LISBOA

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Last week, on 25 November 2020, the UNEXUP and UNEXMIN projects were presented in an online lecture for the Instituto Superior Técnico – TÉCNICO LISBOA. Luís Lopes and Márcio Tameirão introduced these ambitious projects to an audience of students of the Mine and Geological Engineering degree, who could learn more about the innovative robot-based technology that was developed in UNEXMIN, and under further development within UNEXUP.

The presentation was made by Portuguese speakers of the LPRC team. Luís Lopes presented the UNEXMIN project (2016-2019), predecessor of UNEXUP, and Márcio Tameirão presented the ongoing UNEXUP project (2020-2022). In this opportunity, students and professors of TÉCNICO LISBOA had the unique chance to understand the background of the projects, as well as the advancements in the robotic technology, field trials, and main achievements. The new objectives and scope of UNEXUP were also presented, as well as the envisaged developments in the UX robots. Pictures of the robot and the test sites, as well as short videos of the pilot tests were also shown in this part of the presentation.

LPRC team members Luís Lopes and Márcio Tameirão presented the UNEXMIN and UNEXUP projects to young geoscientists of IST.

The whole presentation ended with the UNEXMIN documentary movie, which can be watched on the UNEXUP YouTube Channel.

The presentation had 12 attendees, who, together with the professors, asked questions about the robotic technology and its new instruments, as well as the future applications of it and how the exploration service will be commercialized to the target markets.

LPRC would like to thank the opportunity to present these projects to a younger audience that might change the raw materials world of tomorrow.