This survey article provides a synopsis on some of the engineering problems, technological innovations, robotic development and automation efforts encountered in the mining industry -- particularly in the Pilbara iron-ore region of Western Australia. The goal is to paint the technology landscape and highlight issues relevant to an engineering audience to raise awareness of AI and automation trends in mining. It assumes the reader has no prior knowledge of mining and builds context gradually through focused discussion and short summaries of common open-pit mining operations. The principal activities that take place may be categorized in terms of resource development, mine-, rail- and port operations. From mineral exploration to ore shipment, there are roughly nine steps in between. These include: geological assessment, mine planning and development, production drilling and assaying, blasting and excavation, transportation of ore and waste, crush and screen, stockpile and load-out, rail network distribution, and ore-car dumping. The objective is to briefly describe what each of these processes involves and identify some of the challenges/opportunities from the perspective of a decade-long industry-university R&D collaboration.
翻译:本调查文章概述了采矿业遇到的一些工程问题、技术创新、机器人开发和自动化努力 -- -- 特别是在西澳大利亚皮尔巴拉铁铁矿地区 -- -- 目的是描绘技术景观,突出与工程受众有关的问题,以提高对AI和采矿自动化趋势的认识,假定读者事先没有采矿知识,通过重点讨论和对共同露天采矿作业的简短摘要逐步建立背景,主要活动可分为资源开发、矿山、铁路和港口作业等类别,从矿物勘探到矿石运输,这中间有大约9个步骤,其中包括:地质评估、矿藏规划和开发、生产钻探和测量、爆破和挖掘、矿石和废物的运输、粉碎和筛选、储存和装载、铁路网络分布和矿石倾弃,目的是从十年工业-大学研发合作的角度,简要说明这些进程所涉及的问题和查明一些挑战/机会。