A new ground imaging system developed by Canadian company MicroMentis has been launched in Australia.

The Surface Wave Intelligent Profiling System (SWIPS) has the potential to save mining, engineering and construction companies millions of dollars, improve workplace safety and help protect the environment.

MicroMentis sales and marketing director Naji Barsoum says the company chose to launch SWIPS in Australia first because it's one of the world's top mining nations and is a country that responds well to innovation. "Australians are renowned for their uptake and acceptance of new technology. And, of course, the Asia-Pacific International Mining Exhibition (AIMEX) event in Sydney served as an excellent launch pad."

SWIPS allows users to visualize, analyze and model the physical and mechanical properties of solids in a non-destructive manner. Like Computer Aided Tomography (CAT) scanners in medicine, radar in the air and sonar underwater, SWIPS can create textured 3D images of solid matter, showing up rock profiles, mineral deposits and underground gas pockets. It can also probe man-made structures such as dams, roads and bridges for flaws.

The system works by generating a shear wave, induced in solid material through a small shock. The wave is recorded and processed automatically. The final result is a tomography of the material studied. The data collected also provides information on the material's physical properties, and helps with identification of defects or other specific features of interest.