Grant: Engage Grants Program

Underground mines, which are characterized by their tough working conditions and hazardous environments, require fool-proof mine-wide communication systems for smooth functioning of mine workings and ensuring better safety. Proper and reliable communication systems not only save the machine break down time but also help in immediate passing of message from the vicinity of underground working area to the surface for speedy rescue operation. Therefore, in the mining industry, knowing the position of miners and/or equipments is an important safety measure that reduces risks and improves the security of that facility. Localization has been an actively researched recently due to the security and safety issues as well as service matters. For outdoor localization, GPS technology is often used to locate people, equipment and other tangible objects. However, this technology is not suitable for underground localization since GPS requires a direct line-of-sight communication to the satellites. Previous research and development for indoor localization includes infrared, wireless LAN and ultrasonic. However, these technologies suffer either from the limited accuracy or lacking of the infrastructure. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is very attractive because of reasonable system price, and reader reliability. In this project we propose to explore a novel application of the localization based on the concept that detection of an RFID device in a known, fixed location by a moving reader provides a precise indication of location for tracking the person (miners) or moving object (machines) that is carrying the reader. The research will evaluate the exploitation of this concept to implement a low-cost, reliable means for tracking miners and machines inside the mine.