Optical guidance system for underground mine vehicles

In underground mines, the operation of loading, hauling, and dumping the ore is a repetitive task, performed by LHD (load-haul-dump) vehicles. The operators of these vehicles are subjected to high levels of noise and vibration, and are exposed to hazardous situations. To improve the safety of operators and their productivity, an optical guidance system adapted to the hostile environment of underground mines has been developed. The physical guideline consists of a high-efficiency optical reflector, and is installed on the back of a mine drift to resist corrosion and frequent blasting. An optical guideline detector, consisting of a camera and an artificial vision system, is used to measure the deviation of the vehicle from the guideline. The performance of the system is analyzed by simulated and by experimental test on a small-scale electric vehicle. Field tests have shown that the optical guidance system has the capability to guide vehicles in a mining environment