SIROFRAG is a computer-based imaging system that quantifies the
post-blast rock fragment size distribution in a muckpile in a mine
environment. Improvements in blast performance and blast modelling are being
hampered by a lack of a quick and objective method to evaluate the major
result of the blast: the fragment size distribution. This is usually done by
hand digitising muckpile photographs: a labour intensive and tedious
process. SIROFRAG is being developed to quickly, cheaply and
objectively provide this information. SIROFRAG is based on active stereo image analysis. It uses a light
stripe to illuminate a muckpile and a pair of video cameras to determine
the 3D nature of the scanned objects. The imaging system is based on a
novel prototype scanning projector that allows images to he captured in
full daylight. The Microsoft Windows based software controls the
projector and interprets the captured images to provide a size distribution
of exposed rock fragments.