Development of Underground Space Communication Systems Using Wi-Fi Ad Hoc for Smart Mining

Abstract

As the world's finite resources are getting depleted, technological innovation has become more indispensable to the mining industry for it to keep up with both rising demand and decreasing mineral abundance. Hence this study discusses the development of new resource development technology, termed "smart mining" by combining mining and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). With "smart mining", nearly all aspects of a mining operation can be improved, such include efficiency and safety. One of such applications of this concept is in open pit mines, where a communication system can be created using satellite technology. In underground mines however, where satellite signals cannot penetrate, optical fiber cables have been used for mine automation and monitoring. However, such physical connections are prone to wear and inevitable breakage in an underground environment. It is against this backdrop that a new monitoring system using Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) was then incorporated with the aim to subvert these issues. Several studies have used WSNs to create a monitoring system using various wireless communication technologies. This study therefore proposes a monitoring system that uses Wi-Fi ad hoc wireless communication. Evaluation of results from experiments that test the system's capabilities have shown that it is sufficient for underground mine monitoring applications. Moreover, this study believes that in addition to improving underground monitoring systems, Wi-Fi ad hoc wireless communication systems could also be used for other implementations of "smart mining".