Autonomous Mining Vehicle Routing Around Dust-Blind Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous mine vehicles face decreased work efficiency due to dust generation, which hinders obstacle detection using stereo cameras and LiDAR, leading to frequent stops and route adjustments.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous mine vehicle equipped with a LiDAR and a travelling route setting device that calculates an alternative route around undetected areas caused by dust, using positional relationships to update the scheduled route and avoid dust-affected regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If autonomous vehicles are introduced to replace human-operated dump trucks, then productivity and operational efficiency are improved, but high initial costs and infrastructure requirements worsen the economic feasibility
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous vehicle system is divided into separate functional modules: autonomous driving control system, communication system, task management system, and vehicle control system. Each module operates independently but communicates through the established communication system, allowing the complex system to be developed, tested, and maintained in manageable segments while achieving high productivity
Solution Approach 2:
A base station serves as an intermediary between the autonomous vehicles and the central control system. The base station receives task information from the task management system and transmits it to vehicles, while also collecting vehicle status data and transmitting it back to the control system. This intermediary architecture reduces direct system complexity by providing a centralized communication hub
2Loss of time
If existing autonomous vehicle technologies are adapted for mining operations, then implementation speed is improved, but safety and reliability worsen due to unproven performance in harsh mining environments
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous driving control system dynamically adjusts its operation based on real-time environmental conditions detected by sensors. The system modifies driving parameters, speed, and navigation decisions according to actual mining site conditions such as terrain, weather, and obstacle presence, ensuring reliable performance across varying harsh environments rather than relying on fixed pre-programmed behaviors
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple sensors continuously monitor the vehicle's environment and status, providing real-time feedback to the autonomous driving control system. The system processes this feedback and adjusts its control outputs accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that adapts to changing conditions. Vehicle status information is also fed back to the task management system for continuous task adjustment and optimization
3Measurement precision
If comprehensive sensor systems and communication infrastructure are deployed, then measurement precision and control accuracy are improved, but device complexity and initial investment worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The communication system is designed to perform multiple functions: transmitting task information from the task management system to vehicles, receiving vehicle status data, coordinating between different vehicle types (autonomous and non-autonomous), and interfacing with the base station. This multi-functional communication infrastructure reduces overall system complexity by consolidating multiple communication needs into a single unified system
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous driving control system integrates multiple sensor inputs (cameras, LIDAR, radar, GPS) and processes them together to form a unified environmental perception model. The communication system merges task management, vehicle control, and data transmission functions into a single integrated architecture, reducing the number of separate systems needed while maintaining high measurement precision
Data Source
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AI summary
An object of the invention of the application is to provide an autonomous travelling mine vehicle that can suppress a decrease in work efficiency when dust is generated at a work site. Therefore, the autonomous travelling mine vehicle includes a surrounding monitoring sensor that measures a three-dimensional point cloud of a terrain profile around the vehicle body, and a travelling route setting device calculates an undetected area representing a terrain profile part that the surrounding monitoring sensor cannot measure, calculates an alternative route on which the vehicle body can travel without passing through the undetected area on the basis of the positional relationship between the undetected area and the vehicle body, and updates the scheduled route with the alternative route.