Exploring Robots in Mining: Challenges, Examples, and Future Scope

This report presents a literature review on the application of robots in mining operations, focusing on challenges and examples. It examines articles discussing robotic systems in underground coal mining, seafloor mining, and mine rescue operations. The review highlights the benefits of robotics in reducing risks to human life and accessing previously inaccessible mining areas. It also addresses the potential threat to unskilled labor due to automation. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for strategic formulations to mitigate this threat and ensure the successful utilization of robotics in mining, facilitated by remotely operated vehicles and robots. Desklib provides access to similar reports and solved assignments for students.

Robots in Mining
Applications

Abstract
 The articles :“A Robotic System for Underground Coal Mining”,
“Mining the Seafloor with Robots ”, “Mine Rescue Robot System
– A Review” and “Scope and challenges for robotics in Mining
Engineering Applications” describe the application of robots in
mining operations.

Introduction
 Robotics is the branch of science, specifically engineering which
includes an amalgamation of different other branches i.e.
electrical, computer science, mechanical, etc.
 A robot is a man-made structure which is designed and
constructed for aiding human activities which require more efforts.
 These comprise of instilled computer systems with respective
sensory feedback pathways that help in processing information in
a better manner.

Underwater mining robots
(Underwater with Robots: 2 of
4. 2008)
(Explore Papua New Guinea, Deep
Sea and more!. 2017)

Literature Review
 According to Atmanand and Ramadass (2017), underground mining
operations have been full of risk and threats to the human life.
 The introduction of robotic systems in these kinds of operations has
caused certain type of security system and safeguarding for the
miners or workers.
 Reddy Kalyan and Murthy, Ch., (2015) identified that there are some
components of mining which are not accessible by manual labour.

Continued...
 Automated machines are completely programmed and designed for a
particular purpose with repetitive operations.
 Sea mining is also a risk oriented task that requires lot of monitoring
and precautionary measures for successfully extracting the elements
and composites (Boillot, Dhoutaut and Bourgeois, 2014).
 According to Dunn, Reid and Ralston, (2015), the loss of artificial
individuals is not burdening as compared to the massive deaths which
are caused in mining accidents.

Continued...
 In the article “A Robotic System for Underground Coal Mining”,
the entire mining process for coal mining has been devised with
reference to the robotic systems.
 All these evaluations and findings have depicted that with use of
robots in the working of industries, there is a great threat to the
unskilled labour.
 According to (Boillot, Dhoutaut and Bourgeois, 2014), the
requirements of human operator are reduced when it comes to
automation.

Land mining robots
(Kaur, 2014)(Andrado, 2015)

Conclusion
 Furthermore, it is stated that the underground mining expeditions
and sea-floor mining activities are heavily facilitated through the
use of remotely operated vehicles and robots.
 The entire process is initiated and completed by one machine as
compared to the use of various equipments.
 Hence, there have to be certain strategic formulations which can
reduce this threat and help in successful utilisation of robotics
benefits.

References
 Books and Journals
 Strong, A. I., 2016. Applications of Artificial Intelligence & Associated
Technologies. Science [ETEBMS-2016]. 5. p.6.
 Online
 Emmet Cole. 2012. Mining the Seafloor with Robots. [Online]. Available
Through:<http://www.iaarc.org/news/a_news_2012_09_11.pdf>. [Accessed on
9th May, 2017].