Mobile Sensor Networks: What Can Underground Electric Transport Vehicles do in Underground Mine Monitoring?
Chenxi Zhao
School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
Haoxuan Yu *
School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), New York City, NY 10001, USA and Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
According to our previous work, we have found that the ZigBee WSN technology and sensors are actually suitable for the underground monitoring, but there are still many problems. So in this viewpoint paper, we showed our viewpoint that the underground driver-less electric transport vehicles could also play an important role in the underground monitoring, that is, underground electric transport vehicles running in the mine roadway could carry mobile sensors to monitor the environmental conditions in the transport roadway. If it could be realized, it will save the number of sensors installed around the mine so as to reduce costs. If it could be realized, the monitoring of underground mines will become more convenient.
Keywords: Monitoring, underground mines, sensors, ZigBee WSN technology, electric transport vehicles