Advancement in robotic technology has made a positive contribution in many industries including the mining industry. Intelligent robotic systems are especially fast becoming of interest due to their successful application in many areas where safety is critical.
Even so, robots still continue to rely on humans to control them and in some instances, help fulfill their missions. At the present, the most prevalent means of controlling intelligent robots is by use of regular Remote Control (RC). This means makes use of transmitters and receiver devices which are incorporated in the robots.
Remote controlled robots invariably make use of human control since there has to be an operator giving the robot instructions in real time. However, autonomous control is in some instance the most desirable form of control sine it removes the need for human control. Recent developments have made autonomous control realizable for intelligent robotic systems.
How Autonomous Control Works
Autonomous by definition means having the power to govern self and as such, autonomous controllers possess the ability for self governance in the performance of various tasks.
In practice, autonomous control systems make use of Global Positioning System (GPS) devices that are built into the control system of the intelligent robots. An autonomous controller has the capacity to plan the necessary sequence of control actions that should be taken in order to achieve set goals.
Merits of Autonomy
There are a number of reasons why underground intelligent robots are favored over the use of manned machines. To begin with, the situation of the mines may be very risky and an accident such as a mine collapse may result in the loss of life. An autonomous robotic will not require any human involvement and as such, the safety of human beings is guaranteed.
Another obvious advantage of the autonomous robotic device is that it cannot suffer from errors that a human operator can introduce to the operations. When using conventional remote control, the human operator may make errors of judgment which may result in the loss of the robotic. This loss will have huge financial repercussions for the mining firm. An autonomous robotic will always choose the safest and most efficient means of achieving its goals and will not suffer from any error of judgment.
Intelligent robots have managed to meet some of the challenges that are faced in underground mining. This is because robots are able to perform tasks in environments that are too dangerous for human beings. Robots with autonomous control promise to further increase the efficiency of robotics in mining therefore increasing their worth to the industry.
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