A smart helmet for air quality and hazardous event detection for the mining industry

Abstract

A smart helmet has been developed that is able to detect of hazardous events in the mines industry. In the development of helmet, we have considered the three main types of hazard such as air quality, helmet removal, and collision (miners are struck by an object). The first is the concentration level of the hazardous gases such as CO, SO2, NO2, and particulate matter. The second hazardous event was classified as a miner removing the mining helmet off their head. An IR sensor was developed unsuccessfully but an off-the shelf IR sensor was then used to successfully determine when the helmet is on the miner's head. The third hazardous event is defined as an event where miners are struck by an object against the head with a force exceeding a value of 1000 on the HIC (Head Injury Criteria). An accelerometer was used to measure the acceleration of the head and the HIC was calculated in software. The layout of the visualisation software was completed, however the implementation was unsuccessful. Tests were successfully done to calibrate the accelerometer. PCB's that were designed and made included a breakout board and a prototype board. A whole software implementation was done based on Contiki operating system in order to do the control of the measuring of sensors and of calculations done with the measured values. This paper presents the undertaken design detailing solutions to issues raised in previous research.