Do we still need humans to work in mines?
Mining is a complex – and sometimes dangerous – operation. Humans have been working underground to extract metals and minerals for thousands of years, but with advances in machinery, artificial intelligence and remote sensing technology, it’s possible much of the hard work could be done without the human touch. Do we still need people working at the coalface, or can we embrace fully autonomous mining? “I guess the key question is: How much autonomy is really needed to improve health, safety and economic performance?” asks Loidl from the University of Leoben in Austria. Safety is a high priority in mining operations, and as such is a key driver when adopting new technologies or approaches. Increased profitability via efficiency, accompanied by other optimisation efforts, is of course important too. For both aspects, increased automation and autonomous operations are essential. “With the best available technology today – and probably even in the next few years – full autonomy is considered far too risky,” says Loidl. Yet a mining operation realised via complete remote-controlled operation from the surface is likely achievable in the near future, he remarks, at least when talking about the main mining tasks such as drill, blast, load and haul. A few operations are already moving in this direction. Beyond the main tasks, there are many other activities that happen in underground mining operations, such as mineral exploration, resource definition, sampling, core drilling, geological investigations, ground stability monitoring, machinery maintenance and repair, just to name a few. “Even those tasks seem feasible to be realised via remote-controlled operation in the short to medium term,” adds Loidl. Depending on the technique and size of an operation, a combination of remote control and a certain degree of full autonomous operation may well be an option as well. For example, ore-loading to a truck via remote control, then haulage and tramming of the truck to the stockpile or ore pass in full autonomous mode. Mining companies are, by nature, very cautious when implementing novel innovations, which may slow progress towards automation. “The mining industry is a rather traditional and conservative sector,” notes Loidl. “First movers in this sector are rare – but they do exist, and the followers will jump on the bandwagon later on.” In the EU-funded illuMINEation project, Loidl’s team developed an industrial internet of things (IIoT) platform for mining applications, helping to support the digitalisation of underground mining. The project also tested a range of autonomous drones to inspect hazardous areas, along with an innovative system to detect human movement near mining equipment. Loidl says a fully remote-controlled underground mine is feasible, but humans will still be running the show from a control room on the surface or from another distant location. “A fully autonomous mine is, in my honest opinion, still a few decades away,” he adds. Yet with a lot of interest, research, studies and ambitions around space mining, especially in combination with the dramatic rise of artificial intelligence, the pace of technological progress could well accelerate substantially. Click here to find out more about Gernot Loidl’s research: Accelerating the digitalisation and automation of Europe’s mining sector
Keywords
illuMINEation, mining, safety, efficiency, autonomous, remote