Image capturing assembly
AssigneeAnglo American Steelmaking Coal Pty Ltd
InventorIan Bailey
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is an image capturing assembly for an underground environment. The assembly may comprise an elongate body configured to be placed within a borehole. The body may comprise an outer wall that defines an internal chamber therein, a first camera aperture, and a first light aperture disposed in the outer wall of the body. The assembly may also comprise a first camera mounted within the chamber and a first light mounted within the chamber to illuminate the underground environment.
Claims19
An image capturing assembly configured to be lowered into, and withdrawn from, uncased boreholes disposed within an explosion risk zone of an underground mining environment, the assembly comprising;
- an elongate body, the body extending along a longitudinal axis of the body between proximal and distal ends, the body comprising;
- a cylindrical portion disposed between the proximal and distal ends of the body, the cylindrical portion comprising an outer wall that defines an internal chamber therein;
- first, second and third camera apertures and first, second and third lighting apertures disposed in the outer wall of the body;
- first, second and third cameras mounted within the chamber such that the first, second and third cameras are substantially aligned with the first, second and third camera apertures respectively, the first, second and third cameras being configured to capture images of the underground environment;
- and
- first, second and third lighting arrangements pivotally mounted within the chamber and configured to illuminate the underground environment, the first, second and third lighting arrangements being aligned with the first, second and third lighting apertures respectively, and disposed adjacent the first, second and third cameras respectively, wherein;
- the first lighting aperture comprises three first light apertures that are each disposed in the outer wall of the body, the three first apertures being disposed in close proximity to one another;
- the second lighting aperture comprises three second light apertures that are each disposed in the outer wall of the body, the three second apertures being disposed in close proximity to one another;
- and
- the third lighting aperture comprises three third light apertures that are each disposed in the outer wall of the body, the three third apertures being disposed in close proximity to one another.
A method of capturing images of an underground environment of an explosion risk zone of a mine with an image capturing assembly comprising;
- an elongate body configured to be lowered into, and withdrawn from a borehole disposed within the underground environment, the body extending along a longitudinal axis of the body between proximal and distal ends, the body comprising;
- an outer wall that defines an internal chamber therein;
- first, second and third camera apertures and
- first, second and third lighting apertures disposed in the outer wall;
- first, second and third cameras mounted within the chamber such that the first, second and third cameras are substantially aligned with the first, second and third camera apertures respectively, the first, second and third cameras being configured to capture images of the underground environment, and
- first, second and third lighting arrangements pivotally mounted within the chamber and configured to illuminate the underground environment, the first, second and third lighting arrangements being aligned with the first, second and third lighting apertures respectively, and disposed adjacent the first, second and third cameras respectively,
- wherein;
- the first lighting aperture comprises three first light apertures that are each disposed in the outer wall of the body, the three first apertures being disposed in close proximity to one another;
- the second lighting aperture comprises three second light apertures that are each disposed in the outer wall of the body, the three second apertures being disposed in close proximity to one another;
- and
- the third lighting aperture comprises three third light apertures that are each disposed in the outer wall of the body, the three third apertures being disposed in close proximity to one another;
- the method comprising;
- mounting the image capturing assembly to a winch system;
- lowering the image capturing assembly down the borehole;
- capturing images of the underground environment with the cameras;
- communicating the captured images to a computer system, and withdrawing the assembly from the borehole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.