Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

Mark Dunn

Peter Ewan Reid

John Malos

Jeremy Thompson

Kevin Saric

Alexander Pitt

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

Described herein is a device () for measuring parameters of a material () flowing along a passage (), the passage having two longitudinally spaced apart ends and transverse sides defined by one or more sidewalls (). The device () includes a laser source () positioned at a first location within or adjacent a side of the passage () and configured to generate a laser beam () at one or more predetermined frequencies. A beam projection element () projects the laser beam () transversely across the passage () to irradiate the material () within a measuring zone (). The measuring zone () includes a transverse region extending greater than 50% of the width of the passage (). An optical imaging device () is positioned at a second location within or adjacent the passage () and configured to capture images of backscattered light from material () within the measuring zone (). A processor () is in communication with the optical imaging device () and is configured to process the captured images and perform a scattering analysis to determine parameters of the material () through the passage ().

Device and method for monitoring material flow parameters along a passage

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.

Machine guidance integration

This disclosure relates to an underground mining vehicle comprising a three-axis MEMS gyroscope rotatable about a rotation axis and a gyroscope interface that calculates a first rotation rate bias with respect to a first axis different to the rotation axis, a second rotation rate bias with respect to a second axis different to the first axis and different to the rotation axis, a rotation rate about the rotation axis based on the Earth rotation rate vector by correcting the rotational measurement data using the first rotation rate bias and the second rotation rate bias and a third rotation rate bias with respect to the rotation axis based on the calculated rotation rate about the rotation axis. A navigation unit receives the first rotation rate bias, the second rotation rate bias and the third rotation rate bias and calculates a pose of the vehicle.

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Acton, Australia

Mark Dunn