Mining Operation System
INCO Limited, Mines Research, Copper Cliff, Ontario (1999 - Current )

INCO Limited has initiated a mines research program with the vision of a fully automated underground mine. INCO plans to achieve this goal through the strategic deployment of information technologies including autonomous or tele-operated machinery and robotics and a communication system network that provides high-speed data transfer for real time process monitoring and machine control.

The Mining Operation System is responsible for the definition and object-oriented modeling of all the mining machinery required for the mining development process. This mining machinery encompasses development drills, scoop trams, survey navigation scanners and emulsion loaders. The project scope covers the definition of these four pieces of mining equipment complete with their characteristics and behaviour. The initial delivery of the project comprised of complete requirements, use-case and object models as well as the object relational Oracle database structure necessary to support the implementation of the system.

The current project focus will encompass the manipulation of robotic components within a simulated mine setting to demonstrate that the equipment can be made spatial aware.