La empresa de inteligencia de ubicación GeoMoby, con sede en Perth, se ha asociado con Digital Terrain, con sede en Sydney, para aplicar tecnología en tiempo real a sistemas de monitoreo ambiental (EMS) para minas subterráneas.
El principal objetivo de la asociación es proporcionar herramientas que permitan monitorear y registrar de forma remota los cambios de temperatura y gases como el monóxido de carbono o el metano.
In a media statement, the companies explained that Digital Terrain’s RDI-EMS can monitor temperature (wet and dry bulb), wide (speed and direction), humidity, gases and dust. Gas sensors can detect oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, methane and ammonia.
La solución también es capaz de detectar un disparo y enviar un mensaje al equipo de explosión cuando es mejor comenzar a realizar reingresos.
“Digital Terrain has the technology to monitor many conditions – from levels of gases, such as oxygen, to the temperature in underground mines – and GeoMoby has the technology to use Digital Terrain’s data from its recording devices to trigger alarms if necessary,” Mathieu Paul, director of GeoMoby, said in the release. “We know this is the best, most accurate solution for environmental monitoring in underground mine sites in Australia right now. Both our technologies are fully integrated.”
As an example, Paul mentioned that if Digital Terrain detects too much carbon monoxide or methane in a mine’s atmosphere, then GeoMoby real-time systems trigger alerts for management so that the emergency response protocol can be rolled out in a fast and efficient fashion.
“We know this new technology will save lives in the hazardous environments of underground mines,” the executive said.
En el proyecto conjunto, Digital Terrain establecerá la tecnología mejorada en los sistemas de los clientes actuales, mientras que GeoMoby gestionará las relaciones con las nuevas partes interesadas.
La tecnología desarrollada por la firma de Australia Occidental se basa en Bluetooth y una red en malla propia. Los nodos son de color verde brillante y del tamaño de una lonchera. Muchos se fijan en toda la mina, ya que se pueden fijar a una malla subterránea existente, que suele estar en el lugar, o se pueden atornillar a las paredes.
“Many underground mines – in Western Australia and the world – still use employee monitoring systems that revolve around whiteboards, spreadsheets and tag boards,” said Chris Baudia, founder of GeoMoby. “Mistakes concerning equipment and people can easily be made, especially at the change of shift crews or during an emergency. There are no excuses in 2023 – our technology can monitor workers at all times, making sure everyone returns home safely, every single day. It is a valuable, modern tool in the kitbag of any mine manager ensuring the health and safety of large teams, working underground.”
In Baudia’s view, underground operators always need to know where their people are, otherwise – in an emergency – response times can lag and lead to fatal incidents.
