Overview
Gamma-ray spectrometry measures naturally occurring radiation from uranium, thorium and potassium, along with anthropogenic cesium. Those readings map geological variation and act as pathfinders, pointing to gold, copper and silver as well as uranium itself. The same data supports NORM assessment, environmental monitoring and regulatory compliance.
Altomaxx flies the survey by drone at low altitude with terrain-following control, using Medusa gamma-ray spectrometers with SPH Engineering integration. The result is high-resolution radiometric mapping over the blocks that matter, on ground that is slow or unsafe to cover any other way.
Of high quality data, per drone, per day
Daily coverage potential with two crews on one property
Line spacing, flown to suit the target
Watch
See how Altomaxx flies drone-based radiometric surveys, from mission planning to gamma-ray data collection.
Choosing a Method
Radiometric surveys are flown from aircraft, walked on the ground, or flown by drone. Each has a place in a programme, and the real question is not which is cheapest per day, but what a field day returns. The drone sits between the other two: more detail than an aircraft can resolve, more ground than a crew can walk.
| Aircraft | Altomaxx Drone | Ground Crew | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | Coarse. Higher altitude, faster, wider line spacing | High. Low altitude, tight line spacing, consistent sensor height | Highest, point by point |
| Coverage | Fast over large regions | Around 60 line-km per drone, per day | Slow. A crew walks every line |
| Cost | Highest. Mobilisation, fuel and flight hours | Mid-range cost for the highest data return per field day | Lower day rate, but crew days add up over large ground |
| Terrain | Unaffected, but far from the ground | Flies over bog, brush and rock at consistent height | Limited by exactly the terrain that matters |
| Best for | Regional reconnaissance. Finds the belt | Target definition. Resolves anomaly geometry, ranks drill targets | Small areas and spot follow-up |
Planning a survey season?
Send us a target area, the relief and vegetation, and the decision the data has to support. We will come back with a survey design, a mobilisation plan and a price.
The System
The Medusa gamma-ray spectrometer integrated on the survey drone and ready for the first line.
Deliverables
Every survey closes with a data package your geologists can open the day it arrives, in the formats they already work in.
Maps & Imagery
Targets & Exports
Flight & QC Record
Proven on a Known Deposit
Over a known uranium deposit in the Canadian sub-Arctic, Altomaxx flew drone radiometrics across ground already surveyed twice from the air. The drone dataset out-resolved both the earlier helicopter survey and the earlier fixed-wing coverage. It resolved the internal geometry of the known anomaly and surfaced additional anomalies that geologists followed up on foot, supporting new mineralisation findings.
Anomalies still need geological follow-up to interpret. What changes is how few you have to chase, and how confident you are in the ones you do.
Earlier airborne surveys out-resolved over identical ground
Field season in place of several seasons of ground radiometrics
Product set from the survey block: K-40, U-238 and Th-232 concentration grids, terrain model, U/Th ratio imagery and RGB ternary composite. Gridded at 25 m. Click the image to view it at full size.
See what this resolution is worth on your own ground. A small proof survey over your two or three highest-ranked anomalies is often the fastest way to find out.
Common Questions
That is the reconnaissance layer. It cannot tell you which anomaly is worth a hole. The drone flies detail over the blocks the regional survey flagged.
Ask how many days per season, and how many anomalies actually get reached. The drone covers the same lines without putting people on the ground.
The sweet spot runs from a few hundred to a couple of thousand line kilometres, which suits drill prioritization over defined blocks. It also fits claim maintenance, where required assessment spending can return high-resolution radiometric data on the ground you hold.
Gamma spectrometry reads the top few tens of centimetres. Vegetation, water, snow and thick sand attenuate the signal, and deep sandstone or roll-front targets are not radiometric targets. We say that before you ask.
Altomaxx is a drone services company, and that is the point. The sensor is Medusa and the flight management is SPH Engineering, the same supply chain the airborne contractors use. We fly it lower, slower and closer.
We mobilise internationally, and permitting, airspace approval and radioactive source import are handled during scoping rather than as a surprise.
