Abstract
The U.S. Bureau of Mines is pursuing computerization in mining to provide a means to reduce health and safety risks to workers along with opportunities to increase competitiveness. The Bureau's short- term research is directed to providing computer-assisted, remote supervisory operation of present mining equipment; the long-term goal is the development of progresssively more intelligent mining systems. Current efforts are directed towards computer-assisted operation of a continuous mining machine. A new machine was prepared for sensor-based, computer-controlled operation. The machine is ready for initial underground mine tests under a cooperative agreement at a West Virginia mine complex. The Bureau's program encompasses diverse areas such as research in navigation and guidance technology, machine control systems, tele-remote control, computer systems and architectures, coal-rock interface sensing technology, and expert systems for machine system fault diagnostics and predictive maintenance. This paper presents a brief background and the current status of these research areas. Research progress in other equipment and systems critical to achieving long-term goals, such as roof bolting and continuous haulage, is briefly reviewed.
