GPS-deprived localisation for underground mines

Abstract

South Africa plays a major role in the international mining fraternity. Location information will enhance the safety in mines by permitting the realisation of wireless sensor networks (WSN), which are persistent and ubiquitous environmental monitoring systems. The second consequence of accurate location information is the capability to allow for robot navigation and guidance in the underground mining environment. This would apply to safety monitoring robots, rescue robots and even production robots. Opencast mines utilise the global positioning system (GPS) to obtain location information. The unavailability of this technology in underground mining has actuated numerous researchers to investigate possible alternatives. These attempts exploit new sensors that measure inter-nodal ranges, signal strengths, acceleration or angles for location as well as research high sensitivity algorithms for signal acquisition and tracking in harsh environments [1]. The combination or integration of these sensors has also been investigated. The common signal technologies used in localisation systems include radio frequency (RF), ultrasound, infrared, vision and magnetic fields [1]