. 24/7 Space News .

Unlike their counterparts commonly found in the manufacturing industry, mining robots will need to be smart with the ability to "sense" their world, like humans.
Robots Set To Change The Face Of Australian Mining
Sydney - May 5, 2000 - Within five years, robots will operate large parts of Australia's underground mining industry, CSIRO's deputy chief executive for minerals and energy, Dr Bruce Hobbs said today.

The Arthur C.Clarke/Isaac Asimov vision of robotic industries, science fiction only a few years ago, is poised to become reality in the Australian mining sector driven by the twin needs for safety and efficiency.

Dr Hobbs says research teams at CSIRO are trialling and developing a range of giant robotic mining devices, that will either operate themselves under human supervision or else be "driven" by a miner, in both cases from a safe, remote location.

"It is all about getting people out of hazardous environments," he says.

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.

Examples of the trend to mining automation include:

  • tele-operated and automated load-haul-dump trucks that self-navigate through tunnels, clearing the walls by centimetres
  • the world's largest "robot", a 3500 tonne coal dragline featuring automated loading and unloading
  • a robot device for drilling and bolting mine roofs to stabilize them after blasting
  • a pilotless burrowing machine for mining in flooded gravels and sands underground, where human operators cannot go
  • a robotic drilling and blasting device for inducing controlled caving.

Safety is one of the key factors driving the trend to automation. In the ten years between 1988 and 1998, 256 miners died and over 64,000 were injured in mining accidents.

Dr Peter Corke, principal research scientist with CSIRO's Manufacturing Science and Technology says that efficiency is also imperative if a mine is to survive and automation can play a large role in this.

"World metal prices have been falling for decades due to increases in efficiency. If a mine is unable to become more productive, it will go out of business," he says.

"One way automation can help is by reducing the huge operational costs that exist largely because you put people into hazardous environments".

"These costs include making a mine safe and habitable for humans to work in. For example, in an underground mine a lot of this cost goes into getting good quality, cooled air into the labyrinth of tunnels. Machines can operate with lower requirements, reducing the need for expensive infrastructure".

Robots must demonstrate efficiency gains or cost savings. The biggest robot of them all, the automated dragline swing has the potential to save the coal mining industry around $280 million a year by giving a four per cent efficiency gain. Major production trials of this robot are planned for later in the year 2000.

Unlike their counterparts commonly found in the manufacturing industry, mining robots have to be smart. They need to sense their world, just like humans.

"Mining robots need sensors to measure the three dimensional structure of everything around them. As well as sight, robots must know where they are placed geographically within the minesite in real time and online," says Dr Corke.

"CSIRO is developing vision systems for robots using cameras and laser devices to make maps of everything around the machine quickly and accurately, as it moves and works in its ever-changing environment," he says.

Dr Corke insists that the move to robots will not eliminate human miners, but it will change their job description.

"Instead of placing themselves in hazardous areas to do repetitive and arduous tasks people will manage the operation of the robots. Mines will also need programmers, technicians and repair people," he says.

"Mining can be a hazardous job. Getting robots to do the job will make mining safer and ensure the long-term viability of the industry".

  • Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies
  • CSIRO Manufacturing Science & Technology

    ROBOSPACE
     The Robotic Century
    West Lafayette - January 17 2000 - The population of robots nearly doubled over the last decade in North America alone, and they are becoming increasingly important in applications ranging from quality control to space exploration, surgery to the service industry. So says the most recent edition of the "Handbook of Industrial Robotics," complete with a forward by late science fiction writer Isaac Asimov and contributions from 120 experts, some of them giants in research and industry. The term "industrial robots" refers to all robots manufactured by industry, not simply robots used in industry.




    Thanks for being here;
    We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

    With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

    Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

    If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
    SpaceDaily Contributor
    $5 Billed Once


    credit card or paypal
    SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
    $5 Billed Monthly


    paypal only














  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.