Mention redundancy in most industries and businesses, and it will usually lead to negative thoughts, i.e. items that can no longer be used, people who lose their job due to their job function no longer being required or relevant, etc. However, there is an environment in which redundancy is a good thing – underground mines that switch over from a cable-based...
There is a lot of talk these days in many industries about the so-called “Internet of Things” (or IoT). Essentially, this term refers to adding digital tracking and communication capabilities to more traditional types of equipment and devices that are not primarily data or communications based, and in some cases to livestock or even people, to better track, report on,...
Wireless mesh sensor networks in mines are used to monitor the status of the physical environment within the mine (rock, soil, water etc.) and to highlight changes, especially those that have the potential to disrupt mine operations or pose a safety hazard if not responded to quickly and effectively. The basis of a mining mesh sensor network is an array of...
What do the Cold War and underground mining have in common? At first glance, very little. However, there is a link between them – the use of wireless networks as a monitoring tool. One of the earliest uses of a comprehensive wireless sensor network was a system called SOSUS (Sound Surveillance System) that was developed by the U.S. military in the...
As mines become larger, deeper and operate at a faster pace than in the past, accurate monitoring becomes increasingly important. Collecting data from a range of geotechnical instruments that are often spread over a wide geographical area can be a challenge, especially if the data collection has to be performed manually. In order to increase efficiency and to have data available quickly...
