Mine Machinery Automation Using Locata-Augmented GNSS

C. Rizos, N. Gambale, B. Lilly

Abstract:	Many of the new paradigms in mining have at their core the requirement for reliable, continuous centimetre-level positioning accuracy to enable increased automation of mining operations. The deployment of precision systems for navigating, controlling and monitoring machinery such as drills, bulldozers, draglines and shovels with real time position information increase their operational efficiency, and reduce the need for humans to be exposed to hazardous conditions. GPS is the best known, and together with GLONASS are the only currently fully operational, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) providing positioning capability anywhere in the globe, on a continuous 24/7 basis, with accuracies ranging from the dekametre-level to the sub-centimetre-level. However, despite this versatility GNSS cannot satisfy the stringent requirements for many applications in mining surveying, and mine machine guidance and control. The reason is that increasingly open-cut mines are getting deeper, resulting is a reduction of the “sky-view” necessary for GNSS systems to operate satisfactorily. Locata Corporation, a Canberra-based company, has invented a new terrestrial high accuracy positioning system known as “Locata” that can augment GNSS with extra terrestrial signals to permit centimetre-level positioning accuracy, even when there are insufficient GNSS (GPS+GLONASS) satellite signals for reliable positioning and navigation. Locata relies on a network (a LocataNet) of synchronised ground-based transceivers (known as LocataLites) that transmit positioning signals that can be tracked by suitably equipped user receivers. In September 2012 at the International Mining Expo, Las Vegas, Leica Geosystems launched “Jps”, the first commercial product that integrates GNSS and Locata capabilities into a single high accuracy and high availability positioning device for open-cut mine machine automation applications. This paper describes some of the technical aspects of this technology and presents positioning results of actual mine operations of the integrated GNSS+Locata system installed on several dozers, shovels and drills at the Newmont Boddington Gold Mine in Western Australia where under certain conditions an improvement in availability over GNSS-only of 75.3% to 98.7% has been demonstrated.
Published in:	Proceedings of the ION 2013 Pacific PNT Meeting April 23 - 25, 2013 Marriott Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa Honolulu, Hawaii
Pages:	463 - 469
Cite this article:	Rizos, C., Gambale, N., Lilly, B., "Mine Machinery Automation Using Locata-Augmented GNSS," Proceedings of the ION 2013 Pacific PNT Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, April 2013, pp. 463-469.
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