Cameras for mines and tunnels are an essential element of security and safety monitoring. The mining sector presents a number of challenges, from low lighting to connectivity issues in remote areas. These surveillance cameras observe the many processes within the mine and are mostly installed in a permanent, overt manner, with portable covert cameras being used on a temporary basis. IR thermal imaging cameras are often used as they offer the ability to see in dark, foggy or dust filled environments where there are large trucks, cranes, robotics and other moving apparatus that present danger to humans.
Car-embedded sensors (lidar and radar), GNSS, and potentially data from brakes, accelerator, steering wheel, etc.
Depending on the application, different types of cameras are used for surveillance. Visual cameras are used for capturing images during daylight, while a thermal camera may be used for night vision, seeing through smoke or fog, vegetation monitoring, fire and heat detection using infrared patterns, etc. Data may be streamed directly from the UAV via a secure communications channel to a remote central location.
Driverless vehicles and Autonomous Drilling Systems that can operate without human intervention allow operations around the clock, enabling minerals to be extracted and processed in shorter time-frames. Real-Time Kinematic GPS (RTK-GPS) is used In underground mines due to a limited range of signal transmission below the surface and lack of satellite coverage in depth. RTK-GPS is used to ensure autonomous vehicles and drilling systems have clear path-tracking and collision avoidance capabilities. GPS-guided drilling operations. GPS provides accurate information to the drill head to control its direction deep within the earth.
Drones equipped with mobile communication link for C&C between the vehicle and a ground control station
Fiber-optic Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) systems and pressure gauges enable critical monitoring during exploration and energy production for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). These sensors can be used to: – Estimate production potential in or between new wells by measuring the distributed temperature and the point pressure, or pressure measured at the bottom of the well. These measurements allow the calculation of reservoir size, flow resistance between wells (if multiple wells are instrumented), well bore damage caused by drilling, effectiveness of the fracturing operations, and well completion. – Monitor surface and subsurface scale buildup and chemical clean-up. Scale, a mineral residue precipitated from geothermal fluid in response to changes in water pressure and temperature, builds up on pipe walls and will, over time, form a thick, insulating layer that limits flow and may block a pipe. Chemicals are injected into the pipe to remove the accumulated scale. By understanding severity of the scaling, operators can better consider what mitigation options are most suitable as well as minimize the use of expensive chemicals. – Provide permanent monitoring of injector and producer wells to allow identification of the specific zones and fractures that produce fluids. – Perform integrity monitoring for casing and tubing leaks to avoid contaminating ground water and subsurface aquifers.
High definition Video Camera, pop-up / remote production facilities with virtualized edge production software,with wireless bridge to deliver multiple camera signals back for broadcast content delivery.
Irradiance, temperature, humidity sensors and voltage sensors used to measure photovoltaic (PV) output current and voltage on solar panels. By placing sensors along the distribution channels and substations operators are able to gather real-time power consummation data which will helps make decisions about the load, voltage, and power being supplied
On the patient side, this application may require several cameras (some of which could be wearable by the local staff).
Robotic assisted surgical device. On the remote expert/surgeon side, these applications may require a VR interface in order to provide an immersive sense of experience.
Satellites: Geostationary and polar-orbiting weather satellites are equipped with advanced sensors to monitor wind patterns at high altitudes globally. They are particularly useful for tracking large-scale weather systems and providing data for flight path planning over remote areas like oceans. Satellite sensors that track high-altitude wind speeds can range from those capturing basic wind vector data to more complex imaging systems.
Sensor information (e.g., LIDAR, RADARs), vehicle Status (e.g., speed) and video streaming images (e.g., two cameras (front, end))
Types of sensors: Remote metering, Cathodic protection, Gas density, Pipeline pressure, Custody transfer flow meters, Fire / Gas / H2S alarms, Tank levels, Tank batteries, Temperature sensors, Control valves, Flow monitoring, Electricity consumption, Structural health & deformation, Air pollution
UAV generally carries a video camera and other sensors such as laser scanner, GNSS, gyroscope,accelerometer, and barometer. Streaming the video and other sensor data to a remote location for instant storage, verification and analysis allows the survey team to gauge whether additional data needs to be collected.
Underground mining has significant safety hazards due to high-stress concentrations, weak rock masses, and limited access and air quality. Different sensors are used in mine-related activities, such as geophones in exploration and blast control, piezometers in dewatering and toxic gas detectors in working frontlines.
Wind Turbine sensors are used to continually assess acceleration, temperature and vibration. Turbine impact sensors – for monitoring avian and bat collisions Turbine vibration sensors – Vibration sensors provide data that enables predictive maintenance, allowing operators to manage assets at a distance – Turbine – Because of variable wind speeds and frequent braking, the load is never consistent on the turbine, causing a lot of wear on the moving parts. Bearings are the biggest culprit in gearbox failure. When bearings fail, it usually leads to other components, such as gearwheels, breaking down, causing a domino effect of failure across the entire apparatus. One of the biggest issues with regard to bearing failure is lubrication starvation. Vibration sensors can help an operator stay ahead of lubrication issues by detecting subtle friction changes -Blade – Wear and tear on rotor blades come from high winds, lightning, ice, and extreme weather conditions that result in blade imbalance. Over time, these factors lead to cracking and fractures along the edges and pitch system failure. Wireless vibration sensors make it feasible to remotely monitor such conditions, alerting operators to impending failure and maintenance needs without physically accessing the site. These sensors are combined together into one communication channel. Associated KPI’s are considered in the aggregate.
