IIT Roorkee Robotics Researchers working on Possible Deployment of Drones in SECL Coal Mines

SECL aims to Further Improve Productivity & Mines Safety

IIT Roorkee Robotics Researchers working on Possible Deployment of Drones in SECL Coal Mines

New Delhi: In a significant move to accelerate digitalization in coal mines a team of robotics researchers from IIT Roorkee conducted tests in the opencast mines of Chhattisgarh-based Coal India subsidiary, South Eastern Coalfields Ltd. The team from IIT Roorkee is currently working on developing drones for coal mines under its project, “Design and development of an intelligent unmanned aerial vehicle applied to open cast minefield surveillance for real-time monitoring, hazards and vulnerability assessment”.

Under the project, the team has started working on developing a drone to overcome the problems related to stock measurement in open-cast mines. Once developed the drone would help any surveyor in measuring stocks of coal or overburden by sending the drone to any part of the mine. The I-HUB FOUNDATION FOR COBOTICS (IHFC) - Technology Innovation Hub of IIT Delhi will serve as the funding agency for the project.

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Currently, 3D TLS technology is used to measure overburden and coal stock, which has some limitations. This limitation can be overcome with the use of drones.

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SECL mines to be the ground-zero for testing and development of drones

SECL will help provide the technical expertise on coal mines to the research team to help them with crucial data for the project. The IIT Roorkee team consisting of robotics expert Prof. Dr. Pushparaj Mani Pathak, Post-doctoral researcher Dr. Ashish Gupta and Masters student Zounnoon Ali Shaaban recently conducted tests related to drones in the Rajnagar coal mine of Hasdeo area and visited the Amadand mine of Jamuna Kotma area of SECL. The team also successfully tested the drone manufactured in their institute's laboratory for the use of drone technology in coal mines. 

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