Abstract
Collisions between pieces of equipment as well as between equipment and workers frequently occur inside underground tunnels, owing to limited visibility coupled with a confined work environment. To address this problem, a Bluetooth-beacon-based proximity warning system (PWS) capable of preventing collisions inside underground tunnels has been proposed. The proposed PWS receives signals from Bluetooth beacons attached to bodies of mine workers and/or their equipment via smartphones installed in vehicles, thereby providing drivers with primary (caution) and secondary (warning) alerts in stages, based on the intensity of received signals. After identifying suitable received signal strength indicator (RSSI) threshold values corresponding to the caution and warning zones, a field test was performed inside an underground tunnel based on results obtained from a preliminary experiment. Using collective results obtained during 50 experimental repetitions, the accuracies of the first and second alert occurrences in the caution and warning zones were determined to be 93% and 95%, respectively. The proposed Bluetooth-beacon-based PWS was demonstrated to be effective for preventing collisions inside underground tunnels. In addition, the proposed system is relatively inexpensive, and its functions can easily be extended via the use of smartphone applications.
Highlights
Collisions between pieces of equipment and between equipment and mine workers frequently occur inside underground mines, which are narrow and dark [1]
Similar to proximity warning system (PWS), other proposed technologies intended for collision prevention include proximity detection systems (PDSs), which are devices that detect the approach of a piece of equipment or a worker through use of sensors, and collision avoidance systems (CASs), which involve the use of devices that effect maneuvers to avoid the occurrence of potentially fatal collisions [5,6]
Signals transmitted from pedestrian workers, the preceding vehicle, and Bluetooth beacons installed at dangerous locations were received by the smartphone mounted on the vehicle so that the primary and secondary alerts could be provided to the driver progressively, in accordance with corresponding received signal strength indicator (RSSI) values
Summary
Collisions between pieces of equipment and between equipment and mine workers frequently occur inside underground mines, which are narrow and dark [1]. To prevent the occurrence of said collisions between pieces of equipment as well as between equipment and workers inside underground mines, proximity warning systems (PWSs) involving the use of electromagnetic- or magnetic-field sensors have been developed and used in the past [4]. Similar to PWSs, other proposed technologies intended for collision prevention include proximity detection systems (PDSs), which are devices that detect the approach of a piece of equipment or a worker through use of sensors, and collision avoidance systems (CASs), which involve the use of devices that effect maneuvers to avoid the occurrence of potentially fatal collisions [5,6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call