Hybrid machine learning approach for accurate prediction of the drilling rock index

The drilling rate index (DRI) of rocks is important for optimizing drilling operations, as it informs the choice of appropriate methods and equipment, ultimately improving the efficiency of rock excavation projects. This study presents a hybrid machine learning approach to predict the DRI of rocks accurately. By integrating grey wolf optimization with support vector machine (GWO-SVM), random forest (GWO-RF), and extreme gradient boosting (GWO-XGBoost) models, the aim was to enhance predictive accuracy. Among these, the GWO-XGBoost model exhibited superior predictive performance, achieving a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.999, mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.00043, root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.98017, and severity index (SI) of 0.0350 during training. Testing results confirmed its accuracy with R² of 0.999, MAE of 0.00038, RMSE of 1.80790, and SI of 0.0312. Furthermore, the GWO-XGBoost model outperformed the other models in terms of precision, recall, f1-score, and multi-class confusion matrix results for each DRI class. The GWO-RF model also demonstrated high accuracy, ranking second, while the GWO-SVM model showed comparatively lower performance. This research aims to advance rock excavation practices by providing a highly accurate and reliable tool for DRI prediction. The results highlight the significant potential of the GWO-XGBoost model in improving DRI predictions, offering valuable intuitions and practical applications in the field.