Positioning system and unloading control system of mining unmanned vehicle
By installing spaced reflectors and graphic markings on the retaining wall of the crushing station, and using a combination of lidar and cameras, precise positioning and unloading control of unmanned mining vehicles were achieved, solving the problem of insufficient positioning accuracy within the crushing station.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422952104.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-02
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-02
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-12-02
AI Technical Summary
Unmanned mining vehicles cannot meet the positioning accuracy requirements at the crushing station, especially in obstructed scenarios where GPS signal obstruction leads to a decrease in positioning accuracy. Furthermore, the vehicle's tires need to be in close contact with the retaining wall at the crushing site to avoid collision.
Multiple reflectors are installed on the retaining wall of the crushing station, arranged at specified intervals. The reflectors are within the sensing range of the lidar. The width and position information of the reflectors determine the precise positioning of the vehicle, and combined with graphic symbols such as QR codes, precise unloading control is achieved.
It enables precise positioning and unloading of unmanned mining vehicles within the crushing station, improving positioning accuracy and heading control accuracy, and solving the problem of insufficient positioning accuracy.
Smart Images
Figure CN223624424U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of unmanned driving technology, and more specifically, to a positioning system and unloading control system for an unmanned mining vehicle. Background Technology
[0002] Unmanned mining vehicles rely on high-precision positioning for operation. When operating in obstructed environments, GPS signals cannot be blocked, making it impossible to obtain high-precision location information. Furthermore, when entering the crushing site, the vehicle's tires need to be close to the retaining wall of the crushing site without colliding with it. This places high demands on the accuracy of the vehicle's position, requiring a stopping accuracy of several centimeters.
[0003] There is currently no effective solution to the above problems. Utility Model Content
[0004] This application provides a positioning system and unloading control system for an unmanned mining vehicle, which at least solves the technical problem in the related art that unmanned mining vehicles cannot meet the positioning accuracy requirements in crushing stations.
[0005] According to one aspect of this application, a positioning system for an unmanned mining vehicle is provided. The positioning system is installed at a crushing station, which includes a crushing station entrance, a crushing opening, and at least one retaining wall extending from the crushing station entrance toward the side end of the crushing opening. The positioning system is located on at least one retaining wall. The unmanned mining vehicle is used to transport loaded materials to the crushing opening for unloading. The positioning system includes:
[0006] Multiple reflectors are arranged at specified intervals on the first retaining wall, and the arrangement extends from the entrance of the crushing station to the crushing opening. The multiple reflectors appear within the sensing range of the lidar of the unmanned mining vehicle as it travels from outside the crushing station to the crushing opening. The at least one retaining wall includes the first retaining wall.
[0007] Optionally, at least two reflectors may have different widths.
[0008] Optionally, the width of the reflector near the center is greater than the width of the reflectors near the sides.
[0009] Optionally, the reflector located in the center has the largest width, arranged in order of distance from the break opening to the nearest reflector.
[0010] Optionally, the width of the central reflector is a first width, and the widths of the reflectors on one side of the first-width reflector are different from the widths of the reflectors on the other side of the first-width reflector.
[0011] Optionally, the plurality of reflectors are enlarged proportionally in order of distance from the breakout point.
[0012] Optionally, the plurality of reflectors are arranged at equal intervals.
[0013] Optionally, the positioning system further includes: multiple graphic icons, wherein the multiple graphic icons and the multiple reflectors are interspersed and arranged.
[0014] Optionally, the first and second retaining walls are each provided with the plurality of reflectors, and the at least one retaining wall includes the second retaining wall.
[0015] Optionally, the reflectors on the first and second retaining walls are symmetrically arranged relative to the crushing opening or the inlet of the crushing station.
[0016] Optionally, the crushing opening includes a crushing opening retaining wall and a discharge port, and the unmanned mining vehicle is used to drive to the crushing opening retaining wall to unload the material to the discharge port.
[0017] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a material unloading control system is also provided, the material unloading control system including a mining unmanned vehicle and a positioning system; wherein,
[0018] The positioning system is installed at a crushing station, which includes a crushing station entrance, a crushing opening, and at least one retaining wall extending from the crushing station entrance toward the side of the crushing opening. The positioning system is located on the at least one retaining wall. The positioning system includes multiple reflectors, which are arranged at specified intervals on the first retaining wall. The arrangement is along the direction extending from the crushing station entrance toward the crushing opening. The at least one retaining wall includes the first retaining wall.
[0019] The unmanned mining vehicle is used to transport the loaded materials to the crushing opening for unloading. The unmanned mining vehicle is equipped with a lidar. The multiple reflectors appear within the lidar's sensing range as the unmanned mining vehicle travels from outside the crushing station to the crushing opening.
[0020] The positioning system and unloading control system for the unmanned mining vehicle in this application achieve precise positioning of the unmanned mining vehicle within the crushing station by setting the positioning system in the crushing station. The crushing station includes a crushing station entrance, a crushing opening, and at least one retaining wall extending from the crushing station entrance toward the side of the crushing opening. The positioning system is located on the at least one retaining wall and includes multiple reflectors arranged at specified intervals on the first retaining wall. The arrangement of the multiple reflectors extends along the direction from the crushing station entrance toward the crushing opening. The at least one retaining wall includes the first retaining wall. The unmanned mining vehicle is used to transport loaded materials to the crushing opening for unloading. The unmanned mining vehicle is equipped with a lidar. The multiple reflectors appear within the lidar's sensing range as the unmanned mining vehicle travels from outside the crushing station to the crushing opening. This achieves precise positioning of the unmanned mining vehicle within the crushing station and solves the technical problem in related technologies where unmanned mining vehicles cannot meet the positioning accuracy requirements in the crushing station. Attached Figure Description
[0021] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:
[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a positioning system for an unmanned mining vehicle according to an embodiment of this application;
[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an unloading control system for an unmanned mining vehicle according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0024] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.
[0025] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.
[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a positioning system for an unmanned mining vehicle according to an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 1 As shown, the positioning system is installed at a crushing station, which includes a crushing station entrance, a crushing opening, and at least one retaining wall (including a first retaining wall) extending from the crushing station entrance toward the side of the crushing opening. The positioning system is located on at least one retaining wall (e.g., Figure 1 The first retaining wall is used by an unmanned mining vehicle to transport loaded materials to the crushing opening for unloading. The positioning system includes multiple reflectors, which are arranged at specified intervals on the first retaining wall. The arrangement extends from the entrance of the crushing station to the crushing opening. The multiple reflectors appear within the sensing range of the lidar of the unmanned mining vehicle as it travels from outside the crushing station to the crushing opening. The at least one retaining wall includes the first retaining wall.
[0027] In this embodiment, the reflector can be any object capable of reflecting the laser emitted by the lidar, and the reflected laser is re-received by the lidar. Optionally, the reflector may be coated with a reflective material.
[0028] In this embodiment, different reflectors correspond to different distances from the breakout point; for example, combined with... Figure 1 The distance between the reflector 1 closest to the crushing station entrance and the crushing opening is the first distance L1, and the distance between the reflector 2 next closest to the crushing station entrance and the crushing opening is the second distance L1+L2 (that is, L2 represents the distance between two adjacent reflectors), and so on.
[0029] Optionally, the current location of the unmanned mining vehicle can be determined based on the number of different reflectors sensed or the reflective characteristics of the reflectors. For example, different reflectors are coated with materials with different reflectivities, and the location of the unmanned mining vehicle can be determined based on the reflectivity reflected in the received reflector information; or, the latest location of the unmanned mining vehicle can be determined based on the count of newly detected reflectors, starting from the first reflector detected by the lidar.
[0030] In one alternative implementation, at least two reflectors have different widths. Preferably, all reflectors have different widths. The lidar detects the different reflector widths and obtains the distance from the current position of the unmanned mining vehicle to the breakout point.
[0031] In one optional implementation, the width of the reflector near the center is greater than the width of the reflectors near the sides. Optionally, the width of the reflectors near the center and the multiple reflectors located in the center are the same (all are the first target width), the reflectors on one side of these reflectors are the same (all are the first target width), and the reflectors on the other side of these reflectors are the same (all are the second target width). In this embodiment, the positioning efficiency of the unmanned mining vehicle can be improved.
[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the reflectors are arranged in order of distance from the break opening, with the central reflector having the largest width.
[0033] In one optional implementation, the width of the central reflector is a first width, and the widths of the reflectors on one side of the first-width reflector are different from the widths of the reflectors on the other side of the first-width reflector. In this embodiment, the different widths of the reflectors can further improve the positioning accuracy of the unmanned mining vehicle.
[0034] In one alternative implementation, the plurality of reflectors are enlarged proportionally in order of distance from the break opening, from farthest to closest.
[0035] In one alternative implementation, the plurality of reflectors are arranged at equal intervals. In this embodiment, the spacing between the plurality of reflectors can be set to any desired interval. For example, the spacing could be 2 meters.
[0036] In an optional implementation, as described in the above embodiments, the distances between different reflectors and the breakout point can be pre-calibrated. This allows the unmanned mining vehicle (UAV) to determine its current distance to the breakout point based on the correspondence between the width and distance of the identified reflector (and, if necessary, the perceived changes in reflector width), thus achieving precise positioning of the UAV. Preferably, when locating the current position of the UAV, multiple reflectors may appear within the LiDAR's sensing range. In this case, the UAV's current position can be determined based on the reflector closest to it (ignoring other reflectors).
[0037] In one optional embodiment, the first and second retaining walls are each provided with the plurality of reflectors, and the at least one retaining wall includes the second retaining wall. This embodiment can further improve the positioning accuracy of the unmanned mining vehicle, and can utilize the reflective information from the reflectors on the two retaining walls to adjust the heading of the unmanned mining vehicle, thereby improving the accuracy of heading control.
[0038] In one optional implementation, the reflectors on the first and second retaining walls are symmetrically arranged relative to the crushing opening or the crushing station entrance. This embodiment can improve the efficiency of adjusting the heading of the unmanned mining vehicle using reflectors.
[0039] In one optional embodiment, the crushing opening includes a crushing opening retaining wall and a discharge port, and the unmanned mining vehicle is used to drive to the crushing opening retaining wall to unload the material to the discharge port.
[0040] In one optional implementation, the positioning system further includes: multiple graphic markers, which, along with multiple reflectors, are interspersed and arranged. The unmanned mining vehicle is equipped with a camera. As the unmanned mining vehicle travels from outside the crushing station to the crushing opening, the multiple reflectors appear within the perception range of the unmanned mining vehicle's lidar, and the graphic markers appear within the perception range of the camera, thus achieving precise positioning of the unmanned mining vehicle within the crushing station.
[0041] In this embodiment, multiple graphic identifiers include, but are not limited to, multidimensional codes (such as QR codes, six-dimensional codes, etc.), barcodes, and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification).
[0042] Optionally, the different identification features include different patterns. It should be noted that the pattern can be any pattern, including but not limited to different shapes, colors, etc.
[0043] In one alternative implementation, different identification features characterize different distances from the reflector to the break. In this embodiment, different distances correspond to different identification features.
[0044] Optionally, the image identifier includes a QR code identifier. QR code identifiers are simple and easy to recognize, effectively reducing the difficulty of detection and improving detection efficiency.
[0045] Optionally, a first reflector for LiDAR detection, 0.2m wide, is affixed 2m longitudinally from the crushing inlet. A second reflector, 0.4m wide, is affixed 2m forward of the first reflector, and so on, with a 2m spacing between reflectors. The reflector width varies according to the distance from the crushing inlet retaining wall, from near to far. This can be done proportionally, or with the middle reflector being the widest and the two end reflectors the narrowest, distinguishing different distances. The arrangement on the other retaining wall remains consistent. In addition to the reflectors described above, QR codes with different characteristics can be used for camera recognition. When each vehicle enters the crushing station, the distance to the reflector at a fixed position is determined by detecting its width, thus estimating its distance to the crushing inlet retaining wall. Reflectors on the two high walls serve as redundancy. This method achieves a positional accuracy of approximately 5-8cm, ensuring precise parking.
[0046] In this application, when a mining unmanned vehicle approaches a crushing station, the GPS / GNSS positioning signal may be affected by the obstruction of the crushing station building, resulting in a decrease in its accuracy. Therefore, with the help of the embodiments of this application, when the mining unmanned vehicle approaches the crushing station, the information of the above-mentioned multiple reflectors can be collected sequentially by lidar. Based on the collected information of the reflectors, the mining unmanned vehicle can be accurately positioned. Specifically, according to the above embodiment, the positioning system for the unmanned mining vehicle is installed at a crushing station. The crushing station includes a crushing station entrance, a crushing opening, and at least one retaining wall extending from the crushing station entrance toward the side of the crushing opening. The positioning system is located on at least one retaining wall and includes multiple reflectors. The multiple reflectors are arranged at specified intervals on the first retaining wall, and the arrangement extends along the direction from the crushing station entrance toward the crushing opening. The at least one retaining wall includes the first retaining wall. The unmanned mining vehicle is used to transport loaded materials to the crushing opening for unloading. The unmanned mining vehicle is equipped with a lidar. The multiple reflectors appear within the perception range of the lidar of the unmanned mining vehicle as it travels from outside the crushing station to the crushing opening. This achieves accurate positioning of the unmanned mining vehicle within the crushing station and solves the technical problem in related technologies where the unmanned mining vehicle cannot meet the positioning accuracy requirements at the crushing station.
[0047] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a discharge control system is also provided, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the unloading control system includes a mining unmanned vehicle and a positioning system; wherein,
[0048] The positioning system is installed at a crushing station, which includes a crushing station entrance, a crushing opening, and at least one retaining wall extending from the crushing station entrance toward the side of the crushing opening. The positioning system is located on the at least one retaining wall. The positioning system includes multiple reflectors, which are arranged at specified intervals on the first retaining wall. The arrangement is along the direction extending from the crushing station entrance toward the crushing opening. The at least one retaining wall includes the first retaining wall.
[0049] The unmanned mining vehicle is used to transport the loaded materials to the crushing opening for unloading. The unmanned mining vehicle is equipped with a lidar. The multiple reflectors appear within the lidar's sensing range as the unmanned mining vehicle travels from outside the crushing station to the crushing opening.
[0050] In this embodiment, different reflectors correspond to different distances from the breakout point; for example, combined with... Figure 2The distance between the reflector 1 closest to the crushing station entrance and the crushing opening is the first distance L1, and the distance between the reflector 2 next closest to the crushing station entrance and the crushing opening is the second distance L1+L2 (that is, L2 represents the distance between two adjacent reflectors), and so on.
[0051] In one alternative implementation, at least two reflectors have different widths. Preferably, all reflectors have different widths. The lidar detects the different reflector widths and obtains the distance from the current position of the unmanned mining vehicle to the breakout point.
[0052] In one optional implementation, the width of the reflector near the center is greater than the width of the reflectors near the sides. Optionally, the width of the reflectors near the center and the multiple reflectors located in the center are the same (all are the first target width), the reflectors on one side of these reflectors are the same (all are the first target width), and the reflectors on the other side of these reflectors are the same (all are the second target width). In this embodiment, the positioning efficiency of the unmanned mining vehicle can be improved.
[0053] In a preferred embodiment, the reflectors are arranged in order of distance from the break opening, with the central reflector having the largest width.
[0054] In one optional implementation, the width of the central reflector is a first width, and the widths of the reflectors on one side of the first-width reflector are different from the widths of the reflectors on the other side of the first-width reflector. In this embodiment, the different widths of the reflectors can further improve the positioning accuracy of the unmanned mining vehicle.
[0055] In one alternative implementation, the plurality of reflectors are enlarged proportionally in order of distance from the break opening, from farthest to closest.
[0056] In one alternative implementation, the plurality of reflectors are arranged at equal intervals. In this embodiment, the spacing between the plurality of reflectors can be set to any desired interval. For example, the spacing could be 2 meters.
[0057] In an optional implementation, as described in the above embodiments, the distances between different reflectors and the breakout point can be pre-calibrated. This allows the unmanned mining vehicle (UAV) to determine its current distance to the breakout point based on the correspondence between the width and distance of the identified reflector (and, if necessary, the perceived changes in reflector width), thus achieving precise positioning of the UAV. Preferably, when locating the current position of the UAV, multiple reflectors may appear within the LiDAR's sensing range. In this case, the UAV's current position can be determined based on the reflector closest to it (ignoring other reflectors).
[0058] In one optional embodiment, the first and second retaining walls are each provided with the plurality of reflectors, and the at least one retaining wall includes the second retaining wall. This embodiment can further improve the positioning accuracy of the unmanned mining vehicle, and can utilize the reflective information from the reflectors on the two retaining walls to adjust the heading of the unmanned mining vehicle, thereby improving the accuracy of heading control.
[0059] In one optional implementation, the reflectors on the first and second retaining walls are symmetrically arranged relative to the crushing opening or the crushing station entrance. This embodiment can improve the efficiency of adjusting the heading of the unmanned mining vehicle using reflectors.
[0060] In one optional embodiment, the crushing opening includes a crushing opening retaining wall and a discharge port, and the unmanned mining vehicle is used to drive to the crushing opening retaining wall to unload the material to the discharge port.
[0061] In one optional implementation, the positioning system further includes: multiple graphic markers, which, along with multiple reflectors, are interspersed and arranged. The unmanned mining vehicle is equipped with a camera. As the unmanned mining vehicle travels from outside the crushing station to the crushing opening, the multiple reflectors appear within the perception range of the unmanned mining vehicle's lidar, and the graphic markers appear within the perception range of the camera, thus achieving precise positioning of the unmanned mining vehicle within the crushing station.
[0062] In this embodiment, multiple graphic identifiers include, but are not limited to, multidimensional codes (such as QR codes, six-dimensional codes, etc.), barcodes, and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification).
[0063] Optionally, the different identification features include different patterns. It should be noted that the pattern can be any pattern, including but not limited to different shapes, colors, etc.
[0064] In one alternative implementation, different identification features characterize different distances from the reflector to the break. In this embodiment, different distances correspond to different identification features.
[0065] Optionally, the image identifier includes a QR code identifier. QR code identifiers are simple and easy to recognize, effectively reducing the difficulty of detection and improving detection efficiency.
[0066] According to the above embodiment, the unloading control system for an unmanned mining vehicle achieves precise positioning within the crushing station by setting a positioning system at the crushing station. The crushing station includes a crushing station entrance, a crushing opening, and at least one retaining wall extending from the crushing station entrance toward the side of the crushing opening. The positioning system is located on the at least one retaining wall and includes multiple reflectors arranged at specified intervals on the first retaining wall, extending along a direction from the crushing station entrance toward the crushing opening. The at least one retaining wall includes the first retaining wall. The unmanned mining vehicle is used to transport loaded materials to the crushing opening for unloading. The unmanned mining vehicle is equipped with a lidar. The multiple lidar sensors appear within the lidar's sensing range as the unmanned mining vehicle travels from outside the crushing station toward the crushing opening, thus achieving precise positioning of the unmanned mining vehicle within the crushing station and solving the technical problem in related technologies where unmanned mining vehicles cannot meet positioning accuracy requirements at the crushing station.
[0067] In the above embodiments of this application, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.
[0068] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed technical content can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for example, the division of units can be a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For instance, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the displayed or discussed mutual coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between units or modules may be electrical or other forms.
[0069] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.
[0070] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.
[0071] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this application. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of this application, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this application.
Claims
1. A positioning system for an unmanned mining vehicle, characterized in that, The positioning system is installed at the crushing station, which includes a crushing station entrance, a crushing opening, and at least one retaining wall extending from the crushing station entrance toward the side of the crushing opening. The positioning system is located on at least one retaining wall. Unmanned mining vehicles are used to transport loaded materials to the crushing opening for unloading. The positioning system includes: Multiple reflectors are arranged at specified intervals on the first retaining wall, and the arrangement extends from the entrance of the crushing station to the crushing opening. The multiple reflectors appear within the sensing range of the lidar of the unmanned mining vehicle as it travels from outside the crushing station to the crushing opening. The at least one retaining wall includes the first retaining wall.
2. The positioning system according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least two reflectors have different widths.
3. The positioning system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The width of the reflector near the center is greater than the width of the reflectors near the sides.
4. The positioning system according to claim 3, characterized in that, According to the order of the multiple reflectors from the farthest to the nearest point of the break, the reflector located in the center has the largest width.
5. The positioning system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The width of the central reflector is a first width. The widths of the reflectors on one side of the first-width reflector are different from the widths of the reflectors on the other side of the first-width reflector.
6. The positioning system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The multiple reflectors are enlarged proportionally in order of distance from the breakout point.
7. The positioning system according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The multiple reflectors are arranged at equal intervals.
8. The positioning system according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The positioning system also includes: multiple graphic icons, which are interspersed with the multiple reflectors.
9. The positioning system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first and second retaining walls are each provided with the plurality of reflectors, and the at least one retaining wall includes the second retaining wall.
10. The positioning system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The reflectors on the first and second retaining walls are symmetrically arranged relative to the crushing opening or the inlet of the crushing station.
11. The positioning system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The crushing opening includes a crushing opening retaining wall and a discharge port. The unmanned mining vehicle is used to drive to the crushing opening retaining wall to unload the material into the discharge port.
12. A material unloading control system for an unmanned mining vehicle, characterized in that, The unloading control system includes an unmanned mining vehicle and a positioning system; wherein... The positioning system is installed at a crushing station, which includes a crushing station entrance, a crushing opening, and at least one retaining wall extending from the crushing station entrance toward the side of the crushing opening. The positioning system is located on the at least one retaining wall. The positioning system includes multiple reflectors, which are arranged at specified intervals on the first retaining wall. The arrangement is along the direction extending from the crushing station entrance toward the crushing opening. The at least one retaining wall includes the first retaining wall. The unmanned mining vehicle is used to transport the loaded materials to the crushing opening for unloading. The unmanned mining vehicle is equipped with a lidar. The multiple reflectors appear within the lidar's sensing range as the unmanned mining vehicle travels from outside the crushing station to the crushing opening.