RIEGL has a long history of experience in the field of mining and monitoring. Current developments in digitalization have become an integral part of this highly sensitive sector, and the “digital mine” is increasingly becoming a reality. RIEGL’s high-accuracy, information-rich, and reliable LiDAR data provide a solid foundation for such a “fully digital mine”. 

Rather than treating geotechnical monitoring as an isolated survey activity, this document presents it as a connected risk-management workflow in which dense 3D surface data, automated processing, web-based visualization, and alarm communication are combined into a repeatable operational process.

The paper focuses on the practical value of RIEGL terrestrial laser scanners in mining environments, where long range, harsh conditions, restricted access, and rapidly changing terrain create demanding measurement challenges. It compares LiDAR with established monitoring technologies such as total stations and radar and shows how these systems can complement each other. Particular attention is given to the flexibility of the RIEGL sensor platform, which can be utilized for:

• static surveying
• mobile mapping
• permanent autonomous monitoring.

The RIEGL Monitor+ App is presented as the central software environment for:

• onboard acquisition
• alignment
• epoch comparison
• cluster-based change interpretation
• prism monitoring
• design comparison
• slope-angle analysis
• web publication, and
• threshold-based notifications.

The document combines a technical overview with short interview passages that provide practical field perspective. These interview sections reflect the experience ofAdrian Wall, Superintendent Survey at Yancoal Australia Ltd., who operated the LiDAR monitoring system during a six-month proof of concept in an active mining environment. The interview content illustrates how the system performed under real site conditions, including weather exposure, field-safety requirements, integration into existing workflows, and communication of monitoring results to operational stakeholders.

Explore RIEGL’s monitoring concept, workflow, and value for mine risk management, and gain deeper technical insight into selected technologies, system components, data formats, configuration methods, web viewer functions, and data synchronization.