Underwater telerobotics solution for deep mining.

Penguin Automated Systems Inc.'s Chairman and CTO Dr. Greg Baiden, is gearing up to put technology in place that may change the mining, military and medical complexion forever.

A project is underway to utilize the latest underwater telemining exploration techniques involving telerobotic- telehaptic machines.

A telerobotic machine refers to the controlling actions of an underground machine over a broadband communication network through an above-ground operator. Telehaptics is a network that can be fastened onto the machine to allow the operator to feel what the vehicle is experiencing.

Baiden has proven that telerobotics do operate in underground mines. Currently Inco Ltd's Frood Stobie Mine has Load Haul Dumping machine (LHDs) and drills. Now, the company is considering drilling depths in Creighton Mine of five to 10 kilometres in the next two years, Baiden says. However, rock bursts are often experienced at such depths due to the mounting rock pressure and temperatures. Therefore, questions arise as to how to mine at such levels. Combining pressure with heat could transform rock mass from a solid to a fluid state.

If companies like Inco are speaking about mining at even greater depths, then radical changes are necessary Baiden says.

"The only two things I can think of are, number one, there are going to be no workers at this level, we can be absolutely assured of that, and number two we are going to have to flood it and pressurize it with water or some other fluid."

Reinforcing the rock walls and reducing heat are two paramount factors in achieving a stable working environment.

"My conclusion is that we will have to get into underwater mining," Baiden adds. "And it's going to have to be telerobotic mining underwater."

In order to transfer data to the telerobotic underwater machines from surface, Baiden intends on building communication beacons in the back end of Long Lake in Sudbury. These beacons will be set up along a perimeter underwater and allow the operator whose is sitting on surface to optically communicate information to two telerobots through laser transference. A large portion of bandwidth is necessary for this kind of project.

Most of the telerobots will take the form of a submarine. Instead of turning the drive train, the operator will turn fins. A fuel cell propulsion unit will be installed in the electrically powered machine.

The $600,000-project has the support of the federal and provincial governments along with American organizations who have indicated their enthusiasm through encouraging letters. Communications Information Technology Ontario, Materials Manufacturing Ontario, Penguin ASI, and FedNor have invested $150,000, $100,000, 50,000 plus $100,000 in in-kind contributions and $92,000 respectively.

KELLY LOUISEIZE

Northern Ontario Business