Robot automated mining

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10724371-B2
Application number	US-201715581787-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2017
Priority date	Jun 9, 2016
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

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 robot camera system one or more image representation of a mining wall having a plurality of drill holes, the one or more image representation including 3D point cloud image data;
comparing a drilling map characterizing the mining wall to the one or more image representation to perform identification of a drill hole of the drilling map not detected in the one or more image representation; and
in response to the identification of a drill hole of the drilling map not detected in the one or more image representation, activating operation wherein a robot system, based on one or more input of an operator, designates image data of the one or more image representation as being representative of the drill hole.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activating comprises displaying on a display image data of the one or more image representation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activating comprises displaying on a display image data of the one or more image representation with a highlight selectable by the operator.

4. The method of claim 1 , which further includes determining whether all drill holes represented in the drilling map have been detected in the one or more image representation.

5. The method of claim 4 , which further includes assessing by the robot system that a drill hole registration between the drilling map and the one or more image representation is complete.

6. The method of claim 1 , which further includes displaying a moving pointer in an image to aid the operator in indicating a region of interest of displayed image data.

7. The method of claim 1 , flagging by the robot system an undetected drill hole representation as a possible drill hole for consideration of the operator.

8. The method of claim 7 , superimposing the flagged undetected drill hole on the one or more image representation for viewing by the operator.

9. A system comprising:
a robot mining system configured to operate within a mining environment and having a camera system and a display, the robot mining system structured to:
obtain with the robot camera system one or more image representation of a mining wall having a plurality of drill holes, the one or more image representation including 3D point cloud image data;
compare a drilling map characterizing the mining wall to the one or more image representation to perform identification of a drill hole of the drilling map not detected in the one or more image representation; and
in response to the identification of a drill hole of the drilling map not detected in the one or more image representation, activate operation wherein the robot mining system, based on one or more input of an operator, is structured to designate image data of the one or more image representation as being representative of the drill hole.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the robot mining system is structured to display on the display image data of the one or more image representation.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the robot mining system is structured to display on the display image data of the one or more image representation with a highlight selectable by the operator.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the robot mining system is structured to determine whether all drill holes represented in the drilling map have been detected in the one or more image representation.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the robot mining system is structured to assess that a drill hole registration between the drilling map and the one or more image representation is complete.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the robot mining system is structured to display a moving pointer in an image to aid the operator in indicating a region of interest of displayed image data.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the robot mining system is structured to flag an undetected drill hole representation as a possible drill hole for consideration of the operator.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the robot mining system is structured to superimpose the flagged undetected drill hole on the one or more image representation for viewing by the operator.

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

• F42D1/10

  Feeding explosives in granular or slurry form; Feeding explosives by pneumatic or hydraulic pressure · CPC title

• E21D9/006 Primary

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

• E21B7/027

  Drills for drilling shallow holes, e.g. for taking soil samples or for drilling postholes · CPC title

• E21C37/12 Primary

  by injecting into the borehole a liquid, either initially at high pressure or subsequently subjected to high pressure, e.g. by pulses, by explosive cartridges acting on the liquid (slitting by jets of water E21C25/60; blasting by explosives F42D) · CPC title

• F42D1/22

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