Autonomous roof bolter with sensor and related methods
AssigneeJ.H. Fletcher & Co.
InventorSean Joseph McQuerrey
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Abstract
An apparatus is for installing one or more bolts in a roof of a mine, potentially in an autonomous manner. A sensor captures image data of the roof of the mine. A controller automatically controls a boom associated with a bolter to install the bolts based at least partially on the image data. A system for capturing image data of a mine is also provided, which includes at least one sensor to capture current or present image data of a portion of the mine, such as the roof, and a controller for comparing the current or present image data to previously-collected, pre-existing image data, so as to determine a location in the mine based on the comparison. Related methods are also disclosed.
Claims21
An apparatus installing one or more bolts in a mine, comprising:
- a boom including a bolter for installing the one or more bolts in the mine;
- a sensor adapted to capture image data of a portion of the mine;
- and
- a controller adapted to automatically control the boom to install the bolts based at least partially on the image data, wherein the controller is adapted to automatically control the boom based on a topography of a roof as the portion of the mine.
A system for capturing image data of a mine comprising:
- at least one sensor adapted to capture image data of a portion of the mine;
- and
- a controller adapted to compare the captured image data to pre-existing image data of the portion of the mine and determine a location in the mine based on the comparison.
A method of determining a location within a mine comprising:
- capturing image data of a plurality of installed roof bolts or topographical features in the mine;
- and
- determining a location in the mine based on a comparison of the image data to pre-existing image data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.