Our Côté Gold DevFest
Challenge recently concluded at Laurentian University, in Northern Ontario, leaving
the judges and attendees impressed by the remarkable showcase of creativity and
innovation brought by the participants.
The challenge, which Kenny
Cheong, Mine Technical Services Manager at our Côté Gold Mine proposed in
partnership with Laurentian University and the Google Developers Group (GDG)
Sudbury, was launched late last year at the annual Dev Fest in Sudbury.
The event gathered students, tech enthusiasts, researchers and industry experts
to learn, network and share insights, with a focus on “Responsible AI in Mining”.
Under this theme, Côté Gold
Challenge participants were then tasked with using AI to create a qualitative
evaluation of an open pit blast, using drone video footage of actual blasts. Over
the next six weeks, teams made up of Laurentian University and Cambrian College
students, AI specialists, engineers, and software developers did just that,
creating AI programs that could analyze a blast within seconds.
The top four teams presented
their AI solutions to a panel of judges from our Côté Gold Mine, Laurentian University
and industry partners, including Bryan Wilson, Vice President, Ontario and
General Manager of Côté Gold as well as Stephane Boily, Mine Engineering
Superintendent, and Kris Rey, ITOT Supervisor.
The panel was impressed by the
creativity and effort each team brought to the challenge.
“I
was blown away by the research these participants did and the level of detail
their solutions could determine about a blast. The AI programs they came up
with were achieving blast analysis results in seconds! Imagine what
we can do with the time saved? The energy in that room was contagious.”
Bryan Wilson, Vice President, Ontario and General
Manager, Côté Gold
As IAMGOLD focuses on
investing in the emerging generation of talent, the challenge was not only an
opportunity to collaborate with the AI community, but also to connect with
students on the career opportunities that our mine and our industry offer.
Congratulations to the winners and all those who participated!
The
Final Results
- 1st place and winner of $5,000 grand prize –
Alpha Nova Team
- 2nd place and winner of $3,000- PastBlast Team
- 3rd place and winner of $2,000- Code Bombers
Team