Over the past decade, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been used in the mining industry for various applications from mineral exploration to mine reclamation. This study aims to review academic papers on the applications of UAVs in mining by classifying the mining process into three phases: exploration, exploitation, and reclamation. Systematic reviews were performed to summarize the results of 65 articles (June 2010 to May 2020) and outline the research trend for applying UAVs in mining. This study found that UAVs are used at mining sites for geological and structural analysis via remote sensing, aerial geophysical survey, topographic surveying, rock slope analysis, working environment analysis, underground surveying, and monitoring of soil, water, ecological restoration, and ground subsidence. This study contributes to the classification of current UAV applications during the mining process as well as the identification of prevalent UAV types, data acquired by sensors, scales of targeted areas, and styles of flying control for the applications of UAVs in mining.
Since Microsoft HoloLens first appeared in 2016, HoloLens has been used in various industries, over the past five years. This study aims to review academic papers on the applications of HoloLens in several industries. A review was performed to summarize the results of 44 papers (dated between January 2016 and December 2020) and to outline the research trends of applying HoloLens to different industries. This study determined that HoloLens is employed in medical and surgical aids and systems, medical education and simulation, industrial engineering, architecture, civil engineering and other engineering fields. The findings of this study contribute towards classifying the current uses of HoloLens in various industries and identifying the types of visualization techniques and functions.
This study developed a program to simulate a haulage system with trucks and loaders for an underground mine using the GPSS/H simulation language. The Daesung MDI limestone mine located in Korea was selected as the study area. Using the developed program and parameter values determined by a field survey, simulations of the truck-loader haulage system were performed to optimize the number of trucks dispatched at three loading points in the study area. The simulation results showed that maximum production can be expected by dispatching four, seven, and three trucks to each loading point, respectively. Because the developed program was found to properly simulate the haulage system, it could be used for practical purposes in the study area.
In this study, geographic information system (GIS)-based methods and applications utilized for mine development were reviewed. Three types of GIS-based studies, namely studies on mine planning, operation, and environmental management, were examined to describe the role of GIS as a decision-making support tool in mine development. This review was conducted by classifying previous GIS-based studies into several subtopics that pertain to mine development activities and the range of environments to be managed. Because the use of GIS is appropriate for spatial data management related to ore deposits and mine environment conditions at various scales, the applications of GIS-based methods in mine development could be expanded further.
In this study, a mine production management application (app) using a Bluetooth beacon and tablet PC was developed to support the efficient operation of an underground mine loading-transport system. The app receives signals from the Bluetooth beacons attached to major loading points and crushing sites through the tablet PC mounted on the truck and records the time the signals were received as well as the location of the truck. In addition, when the tablet PC receives the signal from the Bluetooth beacon, the truck driver can select and input information such as loading point, ore type, and dumping method on the tablet PC screen. Data recorded on the tablet PC during the haulage operation are automatically transmitted to the cloud server when the truck arrives in a wireless communication area. The cloud server continuously stores and manages data transmitted from multiple trucks equipped with tablet PCs. The performance test was conducted by using the system developed for a limestone underground mine located in Jeongseon, Korea. Results confirmed that the information related to ore production in the field could be effectively collected and managed, and the efficiency of production management could be improved.
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