A concept of an unmanned self-propelled vehicle for operation in coal mines. Part 2

Abstract

The article is a continuation of the research described in the Russian Mining Industry Journal, Issue 5 (https://doi.org/10.30686/1609-9192-2022-5-00-00). This paper presents the Pathfinder Module of the unmanned self-propelled vehicle, which was developed within the framework of the Chameleon Project. Combination of this module with the Mule Basic Module makes it possible to create an unmanned a reconnaissance unmanned self-propelled vehicle. The Pathfinder Module is designed for terrain monitoring. This module is equipped with systems to create a mathematical model of the natural environment, which enables its movement if there is no communication with the operator. The module is equipped with a video-recording complex with the recording time of at least 4 hours, a binocular telescope with at least 18x zoom, a night vision device, a thermal imager with the angular resolution not exceeding 3° (the thermal target detection range of at least 1 000 m) and directional acoustic microphones. The article describes application scenarios of the Pathfinder Module, e.g. monitoring, reconnaissance, rescue and firefighting missions in a mine. The authors believe that serial production of the Chameleon range should begin as soon as possible as part of the import substitution program with the potential to export these products not only to the developing countries, but also to the countries with a high level of technological development.