More cool robotics posts.

And here is another robotics post on the Jump the Curve blog. I hope you can watch the video.

The take away - robotics research is progressing really fast.

Jump the Curve

Professors teach robot to 'play ball'

Robotics and automation are getting a lot of coverage at the moment - more than I've seen before. I think it's another example of the accelerating pace of technology innovation. Automation and robotics has been researched for many years, but now a number of technologies are converging and the possibilities are multiplying. There is also a lot of research money available as automated and robotic systems are clearly seen as the way ahead. Especially in Mining where autonomous robotic mining machinery is seen as the best way to improve safety (by taking people out of hazardous environments) and production (by minimising process variability).

This article, Professors teach robot to 'play ball', talks about a robot that can field a ball. The article notes that its all about perception - how the robot can identify and intercept the ball - by itself. In this instance the robot is seeking a collision with the ball - but in industrial applications, the robots will be seeking to avoid collisions. Current research in mining systems tries to put transponders on all the individual things on a mine site - trucks, drills, people, buildings and use those to build up a dynamic real time model of the environment and let a clever system direct the traffic. Its way better than nothing, but if you aren't part of the model you can expect to get squashed.

Eventually, the model build needs to be independent of whether you have a transponder - it needs to be built visually (or by some analogue of vision).

Mars iron is ideal for building future bases

Yet another reason for the Mining Industry and the Space Industry to be collaborating. There are lots of reasons to be thinking about extra-terrestrial Mining and here is another one - Mars iron is ideal for building future bases. One of these days, unless we kill ourselves in a nuclear holocaust or get picked off in a major extinction event, the human race will be moving away from this planet. It might happen within the lifetime of some people alive today, and some mining company will be in the thick of it. It makes sense to get planning now - to make sure the mining processes are less destructive than they have been here.

Here are some other interesting articles about heading off-planet.

Dose of crystals could make Moon base self-sufficient

Stephen Hawking calls for Moon and Mars colonies

NASA urged to focus on sending people to Mars

Three Dimensional Technology

Jack Uldrich talks about how virtual reality technology is being used in the construction industry (The Future of Construction is Three-Dimensional). V-R has been being used for a long time in games, but business uses it too - and fro the same reasons. Designing cars, aircraft, and developing 3-D geological models. The Mining Industry has been slow on the uptake, but the prise here is better safety outcomes, and more effective, cheaper mining operations

Abstract of paper to be presented next month in Sydney

Mining and the Future of Space Exploration
Harrison Schmitt (Interlune-Intermars Initiative Inc.), Colin Farrelly (CSC), Dennis Franklin (CSC)


ABSTRACT

The future of human exploration in space is intimately bound to the future of mining and energy production on Earth. By 2025, one or more manned bases will probably exist on the Moon, exploring the lunar landscape and geology, and acting as a learning platform, and possibly a resource platform, for expeditions to Mars and beyond. Unless the mining and space industries take an active and co-operative interest in the technologies required to exploit minerals and fuels in and from hostile environments, the necessary advances to support permanent extra-terrestrial exploration will not be ready in time.

With the notable exception of using lunar Helium-3 as a fusion power fuel, no other reason has been identified for the mining industry to take any direct interest in the exploitation of extraterrestrial resources for the benefit of its customers on Earth. Ample reasons exist, however, for the industry to take a direct interest in supporting technological development of the extraterrestrial resources necessary to support the economical exploration of space.

The mining industry has critical experience in the development and application of technologies for the discovery, extraction and processing of natural resources; experience that the space industry will need to create a viable permanent presence in space. The industry also understands the end to end process of resource development and utilization. On the other hand, the space industry can directly benefit the mining sector by helping mature and advance the extractive and processing technologies needed to economically and sustainably develop resources in hostile terrestrial environments, such as those available in low concentrations, at extreme depth and/or inconvenient geographic locations.

We propose that strategic partnerships be created between the mining, space and allied industries, and research organizations. Such partnerships would develop a joint capability for mutual benefit, targeting the most significant advances in the least time. The space industry will learn how to exploit essential resources off-planet, and the mining industry will gain access to technologies to help extend their activities on earth.

Abstract on a paper on RFID in copper refining

Report on test of RFID technology in Copper Electro-winning plant.
D.C. Franklin[1]
Abstract
This study was undertaken to determine whether radio frequency identification (RFID) technology could be used to track stainless steel cathode blanks within the electro-winning operation (tankhouse) of a copper mine in Chile and determine their utility as a way to keep cathode blanks in good repair. The study was conducted in three stages; a scoping study, a proof of concept study, and a long term test of the technology.
The study confirmed that hostile environmental conditions mechanical shock, extreme temperatures, high electromagnetic forces (EMF) and acidic atmosphere could be mitigated and that RFID tags and readers could survive for more than 6 months in the tankhouse. Thus the identified success criteria were met and that the RFID identification of individual stainless steel cathode blanks (SSCBs) would permit poorly performing cathode blanks to be withdrawn from the electro-winning process to minimise the production of off-grade copper.
[1] Director, CSC’s Natural Resources Center of Excellence

Mining with manufactured microbes

This is a pretty interesting article. By clipping manufactured sections of DNA into a host bacteria, Craig Venter and his team plan to manufacture biological organisms to help with things like climate change.
There are lots of issues that surround this kind of innovation. Bioethics groups will certainly have a view and Pat Mooney certainly fingers the bigger issue, that we all need to be thinking about it now.
"Pat Mooney, director of a Canadian bioethics organisation, ETC group, said the move was an enormous challenge to society to debate the risks involved. "Governments, and society in general, is way behind the ball. This is a wake-up call - what does it mean to create new life forms in a test-tube?""
There must be millions of possible things to do with this, but I can think of a couple. Jack Uldrich talks about using it to produce low cost biofuels, but how about using manufactured micro-organisms to extract minerals from an ore deposit in situ. The could extract minerals of choice and replace them with something else like carbonate. So extracting minerals, without upsetting the landscape, and sequestering carbon in the same process.

Safety in Mining

I was looking at a press release by a large mining company that, rightly, expressed frustration and disappointment that they had not been able to meet their target of 0 deaths in the operation. All mining companies I know of are certainly aiming for this target, but very few can do it. This is true even though there are very strict processes to follow to continually improve safety outcomes.

So what gives? I believe that the focus on safety needs to be reassessed. Yes, focus on safety, but look at it as one part of a whole. If a company designs a safety system that does not also help improve production outcomes, then the first time the company puts on the squeeze for higher production, then people will compromise on safety. And they will do it on purpose and with a pretty clear understanding of the possible outcomes, and how likely they are to happen. The chances of this behaviour happening is increased if a persons pay packet is liked to production.

So here is my take - design systems that deliver better safety AND production outcomes.