Oct. 2024 Automation and Emerging Technologies Partnership Meeting

Purpose

The fifth meeting of the Mine Automation and Emerging Technologies Health and Safety Partnership was held as a virtual meeting on October 10, 2024.

This meeting provided a continued opportunity for industry, manufacturers, academia and others who are working on autonomous mobile equipment and associated technologies to discuss the state of the technology, including system development, testing, implementation activities, research findings, health and safety concerns, and regulatory considerations

Sessions

Select any presentation link below to view the presented slides in PDF format. Presentation file hosting is courtesy of the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association website.

• Welcome - George Luxbacher (NIOSH)
• Meeting agenda - Joel Haight (Univ of Pittsburgh)
• NIOSH Project Updates
  • Wireless Coexistence - Ron Jacksha (NIOSH)
  • Machine Situational Awareness - Michael McNinch (NIOSH)
  • Assessing Wireless Technologies to Support Underground Mine Safety Systems - Alan Zhang (NIOSH)
  • Automation Safety Research Contracts - Randy Reed (NIOSH)
• MSHA Update: Effects of Automation on Mine Safety and Health - Brittany Horton (MSHA)
• BAA Contract/U60 Grant Updates
  • Barriers to Automation in US Mining - Kray Luxbacher (SME/Univ of Arizona)
  • Automation, Robotics & Intelligence Applications for Mine Safety & Health - Samuel Frimpong (Missouri S&T)
  • Global Perspectives on Mine Automation - Joel Haight (Univ of Pittsburgh)
• Automation Case Studies
  • Case study 1 - Centinela Mine - Isabel Henriquez (Antofagasta)
  • Case study 2 - Zero Entry - Andrew Scott (BHP)
  • Case Study 3 - ABB Robot Charger - Jan Nyqvist (ABB)
• Discussion - Future topics and directions - Joel Haight (Univ of Pittsburgh) and Bob Bissonette (NIOSH)
• Wrap Up - Bob Bissonette (NIOSH)

Minutes

For presentation notes and slides please refer to the links in the posted list of sessions.

The following action items were generated from the meeting and will be addressed prior to the Agenda Setting meeting in February 2025.

• Joel Haight will organize a subgroup on maintenance challenges and how they can be addressed for automated equipment.
• The final SME contract report on Barriers to Automation will be available in December 2024 and we will announce its location to the partnership.
• Bob Bissonette will organize a subgroup on:
  • Comms system improvements needed for automation and V2X.
  • Location in a GPS denied environment.
  • Standards and regulation in the US (how to change the culture).
  • Developments in 'perception' for autonomy in other industries..
• Joel Haight will distribute a poll to determine partnership member preference for the next annual partnership meeting format: in-person, virtual, or hybrid.