CSIRO says it is bringing automation technology originally developed for space exploration into the Australian underground.
According to the CSIRO, the link between space exploration and Australian mining industry has had a long history. Its longwall shearer automation technology, for instance, was developed from the early space industry.
The Space Technology Transfer initiative is being undertaken by scientists from the CSIRO Earth Science and Resource Engineering Automation Group.
An engineering mechatronics student from the University of Queensland, Justin Tang, joined the group’s 2009 to 2010 vacation experience program at the Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies (QCAT) in Brisbane.
He focussed on understanding how space-related technologies can be transferred to benefit mining automation including the development of a radio astronomy station using a NASA-designed receiver to measure decametric radio waves from Jupiter.
Building the station involved the development of hardware, software, data processing and communication components that are also highly applicable technologies for advanced mining automation systems.
The next stage for the Mining Automation Group will focus on development of a remotely controlled in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) demonstrator station.
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