Robotic Equipment for Mining Operations

摘要

Problem Statement (Relevance): To increase competitiveness, mining enterprises should increase labor efficiency and the level of work safety. A main technological link in the extraction of minerals is the mining transport complex. So, the development of robotic systems is an important task for the development of the mining industry in Russia. Objectives: The objectives of the paper is to analyze directions, problems and feasibility of using robotic mining technologies; to assess the technical and economic efficiency of automated systems in mining. Methods Applied: Methods of system analysis, mathematical statistics, scientific generalization of the performance indicators of robotic mining machines and equipment were used. Findings: The author analyzed the current state, prospects and general directions of development of robotic mining equipment. The advanced types of foreign and Russian automated technology, as well as the basic concepts and robotics development programs of the Russian Federation, are considered. It is shown that autonomous vehicles will be used on a larger scale, and this can fundamentally change our understanding of the extraction and transportation of rock mass. These machines can operate in harsh, dynamic and uncertain conditions, such as arctic cold or desert heat, in deep underground mines, where it can be very hot and humid or high in the mountains. Today, areas of application of robotics in the mining industry include automated dosing, excavation and transportation, mapping and geodesy, drilling and processing of explosives. The use of robotics in the mining industry places special demands on reliability and quality, gives rise to numerous problems and unresolved issues that must be jointly identified and resolved by both the scientific community and industry. Practical Relevance: Robots are key tools for increasing productivity as they perform a wide range of manual tasks more efficiently and consistently than humans. The mining industry has great potential for automation, giving rise to an opportunity for optimization, since more information becomes available, and actions can be repeated many times with high accuracy. The most important advantage of robotic systems is to increase the level of safety due to the withdrawal of man from the mining zone. A widespread use of robotic equipment in open and underground mining can lead to significant changes in the design of quarries, mines, and safety rules, as well as contribute to the development of new types of mining machinery and equipment, which will significantly increase the efficiency of mining.