Displays

Main Menu

From the main screen, the Drill selection is the item used the most. It provides the views for the operator to easily navigate and log holes.

Simple and complex blast patterns can be designed in the field by the operator or in the office by the engineers and surveyors from the tools menu.

Project files can be defined, eliminating file selection errors.

Drill Screen

In the DrillStar main screen, the plan view is displayed in the middle of the screen. At the top of the screen several items are shown, including: GPS status, elevation, depth, project name, distance from last hole or to next hole, and if in navigation mode, the direction to get to next hole. The compass in the upper right corner shows current drill orientation, north orientation, and orientation to get to next hole if in navigation mode. The lower menu panel allows the user to: zoom-in, zoom-out, drill, and monitor status numerically.

If a drill pattern has been provided to the drill, then little yellow squares are drawn to indicate the designed hole positions. When the drill is within the set tolerances, then the target indicator twirls to show that it is acceptable to drill. Once the hole is drilled, the actual position of the drillhole is shown with a cyan blue 'X' and the open yellow square changes to solid cyan. The design and actual positions aide in evaluating drilling performance.

If the navigation mode is set to field points, there will be no predesigned pattern displayed with yellow squares. Instead, as drilling progresses, the solid cyan squares are drawn with the cyan 'X' in the center of each one. This mode allows for on-the-fly layouts one hole at a time. The circles on the left image are used to properly locate the next drillhole. There is even a setting for staggered patterns. In the image, the pattern displayed and the circles shown do not have the same burden and spacing settings.

Design Surfaces

Elevation differences can be determined from a Flat Pad Elevation or from an existing Design Surface Model. Entering an elevation allows for the operator to work without needing a surface designed by engineering software. By giving the operator this tool, if the machine is moved to a new working area that requires a change in elevation, the operator has the ability to continue working and reduce downtime.

Depth Screen

This screen appears when drill is chosen from the lower menu of the navigation screen. The user is prompted to drill to a specific depth. If more than one surface is loaded, as shown in the example to the left, then geologic surfaces can be tracked and modified. Currently, this is done manually, but if integrated with a depth sensor and a few other sensors, this can be automated. From the add/edit selection, unexpected items can also be tracked such as rocks or hard zones. This information can be used by the blaster to properly charge or deck the hole.

Blast Pattern Layout

There are several methods of getting drill patterns into DrillStar for operator use. Patterns can be designed in the office (advised for advanced layouts), in the field (simple and semi-complex layouts), or one hole at a time in the field (more dynamic approach for just in time drilling and blasting). The field layouts can be either square or staggered and rectangular or variable. The variable layouts allow for randomness in either spacing, burden, or both. So, if a set distance was necessary from the face, but the pattern needed to be straight by row three, this complexity could be designed in on-the-fly. If drilling one hole at a time, there is a guide that will display as the drill navigates, so that the operator can see how far away they are from any of the surrounding holes. This enables the operator to drill the hole at the appropriate distance to achieve optimum blasting potential.