Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

The objective of the project is to use a network of intelligent wireless sensors consisting of robust nodes (interms of communication and security link) in order to monitor continuously security and automation operationsin an underground mining environment (structural mine health, proactive management before or after adisaster, communications between machines ...).The project aims to deploy a network of intelligent wireless sensors whose role would be to monitor the statusof a mine in terms of structure and air quality in order to increase security. A sensor network is a wireless adhoc network with a large number of nodes (micro-sensors) that are capable of collecting and transmittingenvironmental data autonomously. The position of these nodes does not need to be predetermined. They areusually randomly dispersed in a geographical area of the field of interest for the captured phenomena. Smartsensors are sensors that can communicate with each other, can merge data from other sensors and are robust incommunications links. The goal is to identify, proactively, excessive presence of harmful or dangerous gases(methane, etc.) and the impermissible structural damage (vibration, etc.). To do this, sensors of vibration,temperature, humidity and chemicals are used. In addition, the complete sensor network will be monitoredconsistently to ensure functionality. The sensor array is also used for communication within the mine, inparticular for machine to machine communications and between the mine and the surface (control center).Communications links can also be used to remotely control various machines and automate operations in themine.