Development and testing of a computer assisted remote-control system for the compact loader-trammer. Report of Investigations/1992

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:6815575

Ruff, T M

A prototype mucking machine designed to operate in narrow vein stopes was developed by Foster-Miller, Inc., Waltham, MA, under contract with the U.S. Bureau of Mines. The machine, called a compact loader/trammer, or minimucker, was designed to replace slusher muckers in narrow-vein underground mines. The minimucker is a six-wheel-drive, skid-steered, load-haul-dump machine that loads muck at the front with a novel slide-bucket system and ejects it out the rear so that the machine does not have to be turned around. To correct deficiencies of the tether remote control system, a computer-based, radio remote control was retrofitted to the minimucker. Initial tests indicated a need to assist the operator in guiding the machine in narrow stopes and an automatic guidance system that used ultrasonic ranging sensors and a wall-following algorithm was installed. Additional tests in a simulated test stope showed that these changes improved the operation of the minimucker. The design and functions of the minimucker and its computer-based, remote control system are reviewed, and an ultrasonic, sensor-based guidance system is described.

• Research Organization: Bureau of Mines, Spokane, WA (United States). Spokane Research Center
• OSTI ID: 6815575
• Report Number(s): PB-93-132157/XAB; BUMINES-RI-9431
• Resource Relation: Other Information: See also PB--86-193414. Library of Congress catalog card No. 92-16025
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
MINING EQUIPMENT
AUTOMATION
COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
DESIGN
FUNCTIONS
LEADING ABSTRACT
LOADERS
MINE HAULAGE
MINES
MINING ENGINEERING
OPERATION
REMOTE CONTROL
TESTING
UNDERGROUND MINING
ABSTRACTS
CONTROL
CONTROL SYSTEMS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENGINEERING
EQUIPMENT
HAULAGE EQUIPMENT
MATERIALS HANDLING
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
MINING
ON-LINE CONTROL SYSTEMS
ON-LINE SYSTEMS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
012034* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Underground Mining- Automation
Monitoring
& Control- (1987-)
990200 - Mathematics & Computers