When it comes to geological exploration, many people picture "carrying equipment across mountains and valleys." Today, in response to the strategic layout of the 15th Five-Year Plan and the new round of strategic mineral prospecting breakthrough campaign, drone-based airborne geophysical surveying has become a key engine of new quality productive forces in geological exploration. The deep integration of the low-altitude economy and geophysical prospecting is reshaping operational models, delivering leapfrog improvements in both efficiency and safety. Today, let us step into the scene of this "aerial" transformation.
In this transformation, GTK (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd. stands out as a pioneer worth watching. Founded in 2018 by a team of overseas-returned technical experts, the company focuses on the integrated innovation of industrial drones and geophysical exploration technologies, dedicated to providing intelligent, platform-based airborne geophysical exploration solutions for geological surveys.
Qing Hao, founder and general manager of GTK (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd., said in the interview: "Based on multi-rotor and VTOL fixed-wing drone platforms, we pioneered a large-scale, high-precision aeromagnetic survey system — like giving the Earth a low-altitude MRI. By detecting magnetic field variations, it reveals geological structures, classifies lithology, and delineates metallogenic target zones. Its efficiency is 50 to over 100 times that of traditional ground surveys, and it can reach complex terrains such as sheer cliffs and deep forests where ground-based work was previously impossible."
Behind this efficiency lie sustained technological breakthroughs. The team holds more than ten patents and software copyrights, won the Third Prize in the 10th China (Shenzhen) Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, and its products were selected among China's Top 10 Marine Science and Technology Achievements of 2019.
Zhang Jun, co-founder and deputy general manager of GTK (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd., also noted: "In the past, imports of high-precision (atomic) optically pumped magnetometers were restricted. Our team chose the path of independent R&D and collaborated with multiple domestic research institutes to tackle the challenge. Our self-developed chip-scale rubidium optically pumped magnetometer now holds complete independent intellectual property rights and has achieved a precision breakthrough — resolving the 'bottleneck' problem of imported core sensors being artificially downgraded in precision, and even surpassing foreign counterparts in several key performance indicators."
Li Ningwei, co-founder and operations director of GTK (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd., added: "Our products are continuously applied in geological surveys, mineral exploration, engineering investigation, and emergency rescue and disaster relief. We have delivered hundreds of systems adopted by numerous geological survey institutions and major mining enterprises, completing over 2,000 projects. Our operations cover deserts, plateaus, offshore areas, and dense forests, with business spanning dozens of countries across five continents."
From trekking on foot to flying high, from imports to independent innovation, GTK's practice demonstrates the boundless potential of the low-altitude economy empowering traditional industry upgrades. Looking toward the 15th Five-Year Plan, the dual drivers of the low-altitude economy and quantum measurement technology are leading geological exploration into a new era of digital-intelligent transformation.
