Design and field experimentation of a robotic system for tailings characterization

摘要

There is an ongoing requirement to conduct ground surveys of engineered mine tailings deposits to monitor dewatering performance and consolidation prior to completing reclamation work. The deposit variability can make such surveys hazardous for humans. A rover is described that has been developed and deployed for characterizing reclaimed soil regions. This paper presents the functional requirements for unmanned ground vehicles used in this application, including the need for low-risk and timely subsurface sampling and terrain parameter estimations on highly uncertain terrains. Developments of the field-ready prototype wheeled rover are summarized, including tooling; and field tests are described in an industrial site at an Athabasca oil sands facility. Experiments on tailings treatment cells showed the feasibility of the sampling technologies and parameter estimation methods based on classical terramechanics models. The rover capabilities were further demonstrated by collecting samples from production treatment cells and estimating the cohesion and internal friction angle of tailings sand used in fluid containment dykes. The limitations of the current system helped identify future work for the design and development of new mobile robot systems for tailings characterization.