Robot miner for low grade narrow tabular ore bodies: the potential and the challenge

Abstract

Mining methods in South African deep level gold and platinum mines have remained relatively unchanged for the past hundred years. A Robot Miner has the potential to mine in a different way. This project is an initiative to address the challenge of safely mining narrow tabular ore-bodies by targeting the ore with an autonomous mining system that is able to mine at significantly reduced stope heights and grades. Initial investigations indicate a significant gold resource in the Witwatersrand that the Robot Miner could unlock with its capability of focusing on low grade narrow ore bodies that are currently un-minable. To move away from the cyclic nature of drill and blast, a novel rock breaking technique will be required. The development of such a technique is being pursued in parallel to the development of the robotic platform. While it informs some of the design decisions being made, it is not described in detail in the paper.The paper focuses on the robotic platform proposed and the intended path for its development. It requires partnerships within the robotics competencies in South Africa, as no single unit or group posses the required skills and knowledge to develop the entire system