🚀 Revolution in Underground Mining: How Robots Are Transforming Dangerous Inspections? 🤖

[Süeda Asil]

Smart Solution for Hazardous Mining Environments​

Underground mining presents severe risks at depths of up to 3,000 meters, including toxic gases, heat stress, zero visibility, and rockfalls. Traditional manual inspections lead to machine downtime exceeding 110 hours per month and costs over $50,000 weekly. ADR's Explora System deploys autonomous robots to mitigate these risks and costs.

Explora System: Smart Robotic Exploration​

ADR's 26 kg Explora robot operates using Intel Core Ultra processors, Intel Xeon nodes, and the OpenVINO toolkit. This robust robot, capable of lasting up to 12 hours, collects 3D LiDAR, thermal images, optical data, and gas concentration information in unmapped mine corridors. This data is wirelessly transmitted to surface operators, preventing workers from entering hazardous areas.

High Performance at the Edge​

The Intel Core Ultra processors on the robot, with integrated Arc GPU and NPU, process data instantly. This hardware offers 2 times better encoder resolution, 1.5 times faster overall system performance, and 40% more AI processing capacity compared to previous systems. This enables real-time acquisition of critical information such as rock fragmentation analysis, face wear detection, and blasting failures.

Software Optimization and Efficiency​

Intel's oneAPI and OpenVINO toolkits enable Explora to perform complex image processing and point cloud calculations without requiring specialized hardware. Optimizing point cloud compression routines reduces CPU load by over 50%, allowing the robot to run multiple computer vision algorithms with a single processor package.

Autonomous Maintenance and Charging​

Upon completing their missions, the robots return to the 460 kg ADR Docking Station. This station uses an automatic pneumatic air blast system to clean the robots and inductively charges their batteries wirelessly. This system eliminates corrosion and wear issues in the mining environment, reducing maintenance costs.

Challenges and Solutions in Deep Mines​

At a depth of 3,000 meters, challenges such as temperatures exceeding 50°C, high humidity, and the absence of GNSS signals complicate robot navigation. Explora ensures autonomous navigation in these conditions using multi-echo 3D LiDAR and inertial measurement units (IMU) with SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology. High protection standards like IP67 or IP68 and MSHA/ATEX certifications guarantee safe and durable operation of the robots.