Robot automated mining

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10378353-B2
Application number	US-201715581786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2017
Priority date	Jun 9, 2016
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a robot automated mining method. In one embodiment, a method includes a robot positioning a charging component for entry into a drill hole. In one embodiment, a method includes a robot moving a charging component within a drill hole. In one embodiment, a method includes a robot filling a drill hole with explosive material. In one embodiment, a method includes operating a robot within a mining environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
obtaining with a tool assembly of a robot a detonator package in a hollow end of a charging hose; positioning with the tool assembly the charging hose having the detonator package adjacent to an opening of a drill hole;
moving with the tool assembly the charging hose having the detonator package along a length of the drill hole so that the detonator package and an end of the charging hose is disposed at a distal end of the drill hole;
feeding explosive material into the charging hose to deposit the detonator package at the distal end of the drill hole and deposit explosive material along the length of the drill hole while removing the charging hose from the drill hole;
wherein the obtaining comprises obtaining with the tool assembly the detonator package in the hollow end of the charging hose from a magazine supporting a plurality of detonator packages; and
assembling, with the magazine, a plurality of primers onto a plurality of detonators.

2. The method of claim 1 , which further includes rotating, with the tool assembly, the charging hose back and forth about a longitudinal axis of the charging hose to overcome obstruction of feeding the charging hose in the drill hole.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detonator package comprises a detonator, a primer, and a signal wire.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tool assembly comprises a 3D camera system.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the positioning is based on a drilling map, the drilling map indicating a location of a plurality of drill holes.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tool assembly includes a camera system, wherein the positioning includes positioning the charging hose based on one or more image representation obtained with the camera system, and wherein obtaining the one or more image representation comprises merging together image data from a plurality image representations of a plurality of portions of a mining wall.

7. The method of claim 1 , which further includes performing one or more obstruction avoidance routine selected from the group consisting of a push forward, retract, rotate, and wiggle.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the detonator package based on an operator input.

9. The method of claim 1 , which further includes friction fitting the charging hose about a primer of a detonator package.

10. A robot system comprising:
a robot having a tool assembly and configured to interact with a magazine that supports a plurality of detonator packages, the magazine structured to assemble a plural of primers to a plurality of detonators to form a plurality of detonator packages, the tool assembly structured to capture at least one of the plurality of detonator packages;
wherein the robot system is configured to operate in an automated mode of operation in which the robot with the tool assembly automatically performs a charging component positioning procedure for controlling a positioning of one or more charging component; and
wherein the robot system is configured to operate in a teleoperation mode of operation in which the robot with the tool assembly performs the charging component positioning procedure for controlling the position of the one or more charging component based on one or more operator input.

11. The robot system of claim 10 , wherein the robot system is configured to transition from the automated mode of operation to the teleoperation mode of operation in response to a sensed condition being sensed.

12. The robot system of claim 10 , wherein the robot system is configured to transition from the automated mode of operation to the teleoperation mode of operation based on one or more operator input.

13. The robot system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more charging component is one or more of a charging hose, a detonator, a primer or a signal wire.

14. The robot system of claim 10 , wherein for a time that the automated mode of operation is active the robot with the tool assembly performs the charging component positioning procedure independent of any current operator input.

15. The robot system of claim 10 , wherein the charging component positioning procedure is a positioning procedure for moving a charging component from an opening of a drill hole through to a distal end of the drill hole.

16. The robot system of claim 10 , wherein the charging component positioning procedure is a positioning procedure for avoiding an obstruction within a drill hole.

17. The robot system of claim 10 , wherein the charging component positioning procedure is a positioning procedure for positioning a charging component for entry into a drill hole.

18. The robot system of claim 10 , wherein the tool assembly includes a camera system, and wherein the robot system deactivates the automated mode of operation based on one or more image representation obtained with the camera system.

19. The robot system of claim 10 , wherein the robot system is configured to transition from the automated mode of operation to the teleoperation mode of operation in response to a sensed condition being sensed, the sensed condition being the condition that the one or more charging component has not reached a distal end of a drill hole.

20. The robot system of claim 10 , wherein the tool assembly includes a camera system, wherein the robot system is configured to transition from the automated mode of operation to the teleoperation mode of operation in response to a sensed condition being sensed, the sensed condition being the condition that the one or more charging component is not positioned properly for drill hole entry, the sensed condition being determined by processing of one or more image representation obtained with the camera system.

21. The robot system of claim 10 , wherein the robot system in the teleoperation mode of operation activates a charging component positioning procedure selected from (a) pushing in (b) retracting (c) rotating and (d) wiggling based on one or more operator input.

22. The robot system of claim 10 , wherein the robot system in the teleoperation mode of operation provides motion to the one or more charging component that corresponds to motion that is imparted by an operator to an actuator of an operator computer system.

23. The robot system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more operator input is an input of a supervisor operator entered into a user interface of a remote operator computer system located remote from the robot.

24. A method comprising:
operating a robot system in an automated mode during a defined portion of a mining operation, the robot system including a robot having a tool assembly, the robot configured to interact with a magazine that supports a plurality of detonator packages;
operating the robot system in a tele-operation mode during another defined portion of the mining operation;
assembling, with the magazine, a plural of primers to a plurality of detonators to form a plurality of detonator packages, and capturing, with the tool assembly, at least one of the plurality of detonator packages.

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Wang Jianjun
• Martinez Carlos
• Morato Carlos
• Zhang Biao
• Fuhlbrigge Thomas
• EAKINS Will
• Choi Sang
• Lasko Daniel
• Nyqvist Jan
• Boca Remus

Classifications

• G05B2219/39212

  Select between autonomous or teleoperation control · CPC title

• E21D9/006 Primary

  by making use of blasting methods (explosive compositions C06B; blasting per se F42) · CPC title

• E21B7/025

  Rock drills, i.e. jumbo drills · CPC title

• F42D1/22

  Methods for holding or positioning for blasting cartridges or tamping cartridges · CPC title

• B25J9/1697

  Vision controlled systems · CPC title