Application of Robotics in Mining Industry: A Critical Review

Santosh Kumar Nanda* Ashok Kumar Dash** Sandigdha Acharya* Abikshyana Moharana*

ABSTRACT
The advance of robotics and the increase in robot use have raised the need for computer simulation of robots,
among the aims of which are the design of new robots, task planning of existing robots, performance evaluation
and cycle time estimation. For mining environment, both the opencast and underground mining needs seriously
application of robotics. In deep mining, the room and pillar or bord and pillar method progresses along the
seam, while pillars and timber are left standing to support the mine roof and highly equipped machineries used
To maintain safety and reduced the human activity, it is very much essential to adopt robotic technology in
underground mines. It is proved that, robots will be doing jobs like laying explosives, going underground after
blasting to stabilize a mine roof or mining in areas where it is impossible for humans to work or even survive.
This paper highlights the need and uses of robotic applications in mining industry environment.
Keywords: Mine environment, mine navigation, mine rescue robot

INTRODUCTION perform simple repetitive jobs, such as pick-and-place,

machine loading and unloading, spry painting and spot
The advance of robotics and the increase in robot use welding. A basic approach has been assumed for the
have raised the need for computer simulation of robots, testing of the performance of the semi-autonomous robot.
among the aims of which are the design of new robots, It has been seen that this performs well under the simple
task planning of existing robots, performance evaluation assumptions of the conditions established at the
and cycle time estimation. As the proper mapping of each underground mining excavation sites. The recent fatality
and every mining operations need a special attention in statistics for both underground as well as opencast mining
order to reduce the chances of any kind of accidents, an operations worldwide point out that the most serious risks
effort has been initiated to carry out this task without human to the personnel are from different mining conditions
intervention using the latest developments in the field of especially that from the inaccessible areas of the mines
robotics, aided with the domain specific information. The where regular systematic monitoring and maintenance
related information would also be tried to be collected and operations are difficult and hence, none of these operations
analyzed for judging the status of the level of hazard are not carried out on a systematic basis. It is true that
prevailing at any given point of time. This operation is there is no control of the human operators on such
expected to help the mine authorities to remain prepared unwanted happenings [1, 5].
with all the possible rescue measures [1].
In general, underground and opencast mining conditions
Furthermore, the lack of knowledge regarding the are a cooperative enterprise of powerful, mobile equipment
geological integrity and environmental condition of the mine and the workers who operate it. If mining equipment could
also hinder rescue and recovery efforts. Robotic be automated to function without a worker’s full attention,
technology offers significant potential to improve the plight the mining industry could enhance productivity, access
of the rescue workers by reducing exposures to hazardous “unworkable” mineral seams, and reduce human exposure
conditions. A robotic vehicle can explore the mine and to the inhospitable environment of dust, noise, gas, water,
provide valuable information to the teams to assist in moving equipment and roof fall. The critical missing link
planning and implementing search and rescue operations to enable mine automation is the capability of equipment
[2,3,4]. to estimate its position relative to its surrounding. The lack
of accurate maps of inactive, underground mines poses a
Industrial robots have been made a significant contribution serious threat to public safety. According to a recent study
toward automating the manufacturing processes. The [6], “tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of
efficient use of robots shows productivity increase, thousands, of abandoned mines exist today in the United
production cost reduction, and product quality States. Not even the U.S. Bureau of Mines knows the exact
improvement. However, most robots currently in use number, because federal recording of mining claims was
*Asst. Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, not required until 1976.” Hazardous operating conditions
Synergy Institute of Technology, BBSR-752101 and difficult access routes suggest that robotic exploration
**Deputy General Manager, Navbharat Group of Industries, Orissa.
and mapping of abandoned mines may be a viable option.
*Lecturer, Department of Computer Science and Engineering,
Synergy Institute of Technology, BBSR-752101 For maintain the working environment safety, it is now
*Lecturer, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Synergy Institute essential to implemented robotic systems in underground
of Technology, BBSR-752101
The Indian Mining & Engineering Journal 108 MineTECH’10
mines. This paper highlights the need and uses of robotic aptly used for the support of mining machinery operations
application in mining industry. for three reasons: the complexity of mining operations,
variability of the tasks, and the changing environment that
APPLICATION OF ROBOTIC SYSTEM AND ITS NEED is unstructured and requires adjustment during operation.
Fig.2. shows the block diagram of robotic control
Robots will be doing jobs like laying explosives, going
architecture in mining equipment [8].
underground after blasting to stabilize a mine roof or mining
in areas where it is impossible for humans to work or even
survive [7].

Examples of the trend to mining automation include:

w Tele-operated and automated load-haul-dump trucks
that self-navigate through tunnels, clearing the walls
by centimeters
w The world’s largest “robot”, a 3500 tonne coal dragline
featuring automated loading and unloading
w A robot device for drilling and bolting mine roofs to Fig.2. Functional Block Diagram of the New Robot Human
stabilize them after blasting Control Architecture
w A pilot less burrowing machine for mining in flooded
gravels and sands underground, where human The world’s largest robot has been strutting its stuff in a
operators cannot go Queensland coal pit, demonstrating how open-cut mines
w A robotic drilling and blasting device for inducing of the future may work. The 3500-tonne monster, which
controlled caving. featured on NASA’s ‘Cool Robot of the Week’ website, is
a 75-metre tall dragline (Fig.3.) that has been automated
to turn the business of shifting millions of tonnes of rubble
and rock into a highly precise operation needing 80 per
cent less operator involvement [9].

This massive beast, which can devour 120 tonnes of rock

in a single bite, has essentially been fitted with a ‘brain’ to
remove the stress and judgment needed by a human
operator when controlling its 100-metre boom and swinging
load. The semi-automated dragline was used to
demonstrate the role that robotics could play in mining
operations.

Fig.1. A few mining vehicle-related accidents

NEED OF ROBOTIC SYSTEMS IN OPENCAST MINES

As in opencast mining industry, more number of high

earthmoving machineries and man power is used, hence
robotic systems were used for maintain the safety and
enhancing the production capacity. Machinery automation
is the major area in opencast mines, where robotic systems
were needed to implement.

Machinery automation Fig.3. World’s first robotic system based dragline

Pilania, and Chakravarty (2008) developed Visual Sensor
Mining machines are characterized by multiple, articulated
for Semi-Autonomous Mine navigation System for both
joints using hydraulically or electrically powered elements.
opencast and underground mining environment. Their
Many tasks require a human operator to coordinate the
work represents the efforts undertaken for the
movement of several machine links by simultaneous
development of a semi-automatic robot that may be used
control of numerous joysticks or other control devices,
for various post- disaster rescue operation planning and
Robotics used in the manufacturing industry cannot be
their subsequent execution using one-way communication
The Indian Mining & Engineering Journal 109 MineTECH’10
of video and data from the robot to the controller and research. On the left is a cart, equipped with four 2-D laser
controller to the robot respectively.Fig.4 represent the basic range finders. The laser range finders provide information
architecture of their work and Fig. 5 shows the about the mine cross section ahead of the vehicle, and
implementation of the robotic systems [5]. the ground and ceiling structure. The center panel in Figure
6 shows the Groundhog robot, a tele-operated device
constructed from the chassis of two ATVs [6]. The robot is
equipped with two 2-D laser range finders, one pointed
forward for 2-D mapping and one pointed towards the
ceiling for 3-D mapping. The right panel of this figure shows
Groundhog’s descent into an abandoned mine in
Burgettstown, PA. Unfortunately, neither of these systems
possess odometers or inertial sensors. Thus, the location
of the vehicles relative to their points of entry can only be
recovered from the range scan data.

Fig. 4: The basic architecture of the rescue robot with

wireless mode of communication established.

Fig.6. Mine mapping cart with four laser range finders,

pushed manually through a mine. Groundhog robot used
for breaching difficult mine environments.

Fig. 5 The complete robot unit with the pan-and-tilt

mechanism for better navigation
NEED OF ROBOTIC SYSTEMS IN UNDERGROUND
MINES
Fig. 7. (a) 2D Mine map acquired by the robotic cart
Due to safety purpose in underground mines, the need of
robotics is very much essential. The followings are
highlights the role of robotic application in underground
mines.
w Underground mine navigation or mapping using
robotics
w Position estimation
w Machinery automation
w Mine Specific Issues

Underground mine navigation or mapping using

robotics

Figure 1 show the two robotic systems used in our (b) a hand-drawn map of the corresponding mine segment
for comparison
The Indian Mining & Engineering Journal 110 MineTECH’10
Position estimation Object detection and path finder

The simplest position estimator for mobile equipment is Robotics is also seen as a way to resolve productivity
dead reckoning, in which the robot estimates its current issues. For example, industry estimates put the savings
position by step counting (integrating its combined steer- from clawing back some of the time lost during shift
ing and propulsion history). This approach is vulnerable changeovers and by reducing the workload on operators
to bad calibration, imperfect wheel contact, upsetting at $300 million a year [11] .
events, and it provides, at best, only a rough position esti-
mate. This estimate generally gets worse as the distance
traveled (i.e., the length of the integral) increases.

Inertial navigation system (INS) position estimators use

multiple gyros (mechanical or ring laser) and accelerom-
eters (one for each axis) to provide an acceleration his-
tory that is integrated to estimate position. Although an
INS is generally more accurate then reckoning, an INS is
subject to gyro drift, calibration problems, and sensitivity
limitations. Fig.8. and Fig.9 represents the position esti-
mation by the robotic system [10].
Fig.10. Robotic system for path finder in underground
mines

Fig.8. Typical underground mine map

Fig.11. Robotic system used for object detection in
underground mine.
Groundhog [12], a 1,600-pound mine-mapping robot
(Fig.6) created by graduate students in Carnegie Mellon’s
Mobile Robot Development class, made a successful trial
run into an abandoned coalmine near Burgettstown, Pa.
The four-wheeled, ATV-sized robot used laser rangefinders
to create an accurate map of about 100 feet of the mine,
which had been filled with water since the 1920s.

Fig.9. Surveyed path (dotted) and estimated path (solid)

Fig.12. Future robotic mining equipment

The Indian Mining & Engineering Journal 111 MineTECH’10
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The Indian Mining & Engineering Journal 112 MineTECH’10