Abstract
Sensing for equipment location and mapping in explosion risk zones such as underground coal mines is a difficult proposition due to the regulatory requirement for certified protective enclosures to safely house the required complex electrical equipment. This paper provides a case study for the process involved in creating and implementing an optical-grade enclosure for use in these environments. The result of this process has been the creation of ExScan®, a 3D laser mapping system that is providing step-change capability for remote operations and automation in the underground coal mining industry.
Highlights
Remote operation and automation of mining systems are priority industry-wide goals in achieving improvements in safety and productivity
A potential solution to this problem is the use of laser scanning (LIDAR), which is currently one of the most widely used technologies worldwide for measurement of position in automation of mobile equipment [1,2,3]
Accurate, and flexible capture of real-world spatial data and is ideally suited for underground mining operations where it has been used for mapping and navigation in hard rock mining for a number of years, [4,5]
Summary
Remote operation and automation of mining systems are priority industry-wide goals in achieving improvements in safety and productivity This means accurate sensing of equipment position in an underground mine is a fundamental requirement to replace human observation. A potential solution to this problem is the use of laser scanning (LIDAR), which is currently one of the most widely used technologies worldwide for measurement of position in automation of mobile equipment [1,2,3] It offers rapid, accurate, and flexible capture of real-world spatial data and is ideally suited for underground mining operations where it has been used for mapping and navigation in hard rock mining for a number of years, [4,5].
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