Mining Goes Digital – Mueller et al. (Eds)
© 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 978-0-367-33604-2
603
Increased safety in deep mining with IoT and autonomous robots
F. Günther & H. Mischo
TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institute of Mining and Special Civil Engineering, Freiberg, Germany
R. Lösch & S. Grehl
TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institute of Computer Science, Freiberg, Germany
F. Güth
TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institute of Electronic and Sensor Materials, Freiberg, Germany
ABSTRACT: ‘Safety first’ – all miners know the importance of this slogan. Personal
protective equipment, automated or remote-controlled machinery and safety instructions
all help to avoid accidents underground. However, there are still many dangerous mining
situations where the risk to human life is too high. Modern technologies can help to overcome
this obstacle. Researchers at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg are working with autonomous
robots and the Internet of Things in underground mining. A mobile autonomous robot, in
combination with a wireless sensor network, can help to explore unknown or inaccessible
areas. These could be in abandoned or active mines, where hazardous situations occur with
unpredictable risks too severe for human activity. This paper will focus on development and
application possibilities of this technology, especially regarding mine safety. The first test
results from the prototypes will be presented from the viewpoint of a mining engineer, with
respect to benefits and limitations for mine operators.
1 INTRODUCTION
The feasibility of a mining project is determined not only by its profitability, but also by the
fact that work must be carried out safely. In contrast to other branches of industry, mines
seem to be a particularly unsafe workplace due to the special environmental conditions. Lack
of light, confinement, danger of falling rocks, and the occurrence of dangerous gases are just
some of the factors. Today, almost all accidents can be avoided through targeted actions. If
we consider only the accident statistics of the BGRCI (German Social Accident Insurance
Institution) for the raw materials and chemical industry as an example, we can see that both
in 2010 (13.9) and in 2017 (10.4) the lowest number of accidents per 1,000 full-time workers
were reported in the mining sector compared to the other branches of industry represented
in the BGRCI (Ø 2010: 19.2 and 2017: 18.1) (Berufsgenossenschaft Rohstoffe und chemische
Industrie 2010, 2017). These figures show a positive downward trend. Nevertheless, the
Saxon Mining Office recorded a total of 70 reportable accidents at work in 2017. Of these, 21
were caused by falling rocks or other objects (Sächsisches Oberbergamt 2017).
The goal for research and development in mining should therefore always be to increase
occupational safety, so that even more accidents can be avoided. Increasing the automation
level and the use of autonomous robots within the mining process is just one way to achieve
this goal. Another approach is a significant increase in sensory data acquisition and the use
of intelligent evaluation algorithms. Large mining companies, for example, are already using
autonomous trucks for underground mining (Mining Magazine 2016). However, technologies that can be used in unknown and non-instrumented underground mining environments
are not yet fully developed or commercialised. Forgotten, abandoned or historic mines can all
be found in the Saxony Ore Mountains. When damage occurs to the surface, such mines must
© 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 978-0-367-33604-2
603
Increased safety in deep mining with IoT and autonomous robots
F. Günther & H. Mischo
TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institute of Mining and Special Civil Engineering, Freiberg, Germany
R. Lösch & S. Grehl
TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institute of Computer Science, Freiberg, Germany
F. Güth
TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institute of Electronic and Sensor Materials, Freiberg, Germany
ABSTRACT: ‘Safety first’ – all miners know the importance of this slogan. Personal
protective equipment, automated or remote-controlled machinery and safety instructions
all help to avoid accidents underground. However, there are still many dangerous mining
situations where the risk to human life is too high. Modern technologies can help to overcome
this obstacle. Researchers at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg are working with autonomous
robots and the Internet of Things in underground mining. A mobile autonomous robot, in
combination with a wireless sensor network, can help to explore unknown or inaccessible
areas. These could be in abandoned or active mines, where hazardous situations occur with
unpredictable risks too severe for human activity. This paper will focus on development and
application possibilities of this technology, especially regarding mine safety. The first test
results from the prototypes will be presented from the viewpoint of a mining engineer, with
respect to benefits and limitations for mine operators.
1 INTRODUCTION
The feasibility of a mining project is determined not only by its profitability, but also by the
fact that work must be carried out safely. In contrast to other branches of industry, mines
seem to be a particularly unsafe workplace due to the special environmental conditions. Lack
of light, confinement, danger of falling rocks, and the occurrence of dangerous gases are just
some of the factors. Today, almost all accidents can be avoided through targeted actions. If
we consider only the accident statistics of the BGRCI (German Social Accident Insurance
Institution) for the raw materials and chemical industry as an example, we can see that both
in 2010 (13.9) and in 2017 (10.4) the lowest number of accidents per 1,000 full-time workers
were reported in the mining sector compared to the other branches of industry represented
in the BGRCI (Ø 2010: 19.2 and 2017: 18.1) (Berufsgenossenschaft Rohstoffe und chemische
Industrie 2010, 2017). These figures show a positive downward trend. Nevertheless, the
Saxon Mining Office recorded a total of 70 reportable accidents at work in 2017. Of these, 21
were caused by falling rocks or other objects (Sächsisches Oberbergamt 2017).
The goal for research and development in mining should therefore always be to increase
occupational safety, so that even more accidents can be avoided. Increasing the automation
level and the use of autonomous robots within the mining process is just one way to achieve
this goal. Another approach is a significant increase in sensory data acquisition and the use
of intelligent evaluation algorithms. Large mining companies, for example, are already using
autonomous trucks for underground mining (Mining Magazine 2016). However, technologies that can be used in unknown and non-instrumented underground mining environments
are not yet fully developed or commercialised. Forgotten, abandoned or historic mines can all
be found in the Saxony Ore Mountains. When damage occurs to the surface, such mines must