Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

Jeremy Thompson

Mark Dunn

Peter Ewan Reid

John Malos

Kevin Saric

Camrin Peacock

This disclosure relates to navigation of an underground mining machine. A laser range finder captures first and second 3D point clouds of first and second overlapping parts of the underground mine from first and second positions of the mining machine respectively. A processor determines a first set of candidates for rock bolts as point feature objects from the first 3D point cloud; determines a second set of candidates for rock bolts as point feature objects from the second 3D point cloud; determines an alignment between first shapes defined by at least two of the first set of candidates for rock bolts and second shapes defined by at least two of the second set of candidates for rock bolts; and determines relative location information between the first position of the mining machine and the second position of the mining machine based on the alignment.

Navigation of an underground mining machine

Disclosed herein is a system for controlling a mining machine within an underground mine. A rotatable laser source sends laser light and return light sensor receives reflected laser light and provides an indication of distance and return light intensity at multiple different rotation angles. A co-ordinate reference point comprises a pattern of varying reflectivity and provides at least a 2D co-ordinate position. A processor determines an absolute co-ordinate position in space of the mining machine as the mining machine moves through the underground mine. The processor collects intensity values of reflected laser light for multiple respective rotation angles and detects the pattern of the reference point in the multiple intensity values of reflected laser light, and determines the absolute co-ordinate position in space of the mining machine based on spatial information of the detected pattern.

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Acton, Australia

Jeremy Thompson