In underground conditions, such as in underground coal mines, accidents involving falling roofs and breaking side walls are a risk that can result in loss of life. According to India's Ministry of Labor and Employment, 377 operators working in the coal, mineral or petroleum mining sectors in the country were fatally injured in accidents between 2015 and 2017. This number ranged from 962 in 2004 to 352 in 2014. and it hasn't reached zero yet.
Underground coal mine.
To prevent such accidents, a research team made up of underground rescue students has developed a unique robotic system designed to keep coal mine workers better protected. The system was recently showcased at the Smart India Hackathon 2019 and won a cash prize worth Rs 1 lakh.
The Robot Operating System (ROS), produced by a team of six students attending Ramrao Adik Institute Of Technology in Mumbai, creates 3D models and 2D maps of underground coal mines to assess potential risks. The system also assesses levels of toxic gases, including methane and hydrogen sulfide.
“ROS is the heart of our system used to run the SLAM algorithm to produce the required 3D model and 2D map of the sealed environment,” said a 22-year-old team leader, Ajit Mutalik. The other crew members are Vineet Menon (21), Ajay Lohar (20), Swapnil Patil (19), Tushar Kurane (20) and Shradda Gaikwad (20).
Initially, Ajit and Vineet pitched this idea at the e-Yantra Idea Competition 2018 at IIT Bombay under the guidance of their professor at Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology, Sanjivani C. Chakote. After winning the “Best Hardware Category” award at the 2018 event, the two students began working on updating their project. Eventually, the other four students joined them to develop the robotic system.
The project was also guided by Sanjivani and Sandeep Sangale, a faculty division of Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology. “For a given coal mine, we suggest carrying out 3D mapping periodically. Then continuous 3D maps can be compared to gain insight into any modifications to the mine structure,” shared Ajit.
The robot has sensors that can monitor the concentration of a tunnel using a combination of 2D maps and Google Maps to identify dangerous zones. At the same time, the system periodically measures levels of harmful gases and automatically alerts miners to leave the area if high levels are detected.
Some of the robot's features include:
Asset tracking
Semi-autonomy
Simple to implement
Economical
Save lives
Ajit said his team is currently considering rolling out the product to the mining industry as is or first carrying out additional research and testing. “Two of us have completed our eighth semester exams and the prevailing ones are still pursuing graduation. So, we chose to launch the product together or continue investigating in the same area,” he said.
Regardless of the team's decision, the students believe this is a first-of-its-kind solution for miners or underground workers that could serve to prevent accidents related to falls from underground roofs, landslides and flooding inside a mine or tunnel.
