Mining automation in the next millennium: engineering a tele-operated load haul dump model

A 1:5 scale remote controlled load haul dump (LHD) vehicle has been built to demonstrate the benefits of safety and automation in underground mines. Controlling an LHD inside the stope from a distance is much safer than drawing broken material while seated on the vehicle. LHDs also pose an accident risk to operators and other bystanders along the travel path of the vehicle. Tele-operated LHDs have higher utilization since a single operator can control one or more LHDs from surface. In such cases, the operating speed of the vehicle can be increased as operator safety is no longer an issue. Hence, higher productivity can be generated. This paper discusses the goals, design and construction of the model and simulates the application of expert system to control the model.