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. 2022 Dec 28;23(1):300.
doi: 10.3390/s23010300.

Application of Ultra-Wide Band Sensors in Mining

Katja Wisiak  1 , Michel Jakić  1 , Philipp Hartlieb  1
Affiliations

Application of Ultra-Wide Band Sensors in Mining

Katja Wisiak et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

Ultra-wideband (UWB) sensors are a radio frequency technology that use wireless communication between devices to precisely determine the position. The most recent applications focus on locating and sensor data collecting on mobile phones, car keys and other similar devices. However, this technology is still not being utilized in the mining sector. To overcome this gap, this perspective offers implementation options and solutions. Additionally, it evaluated the benefits and drawbacks of using ultra-wideband for mining. The measurements provided were made using QORVO two-way ranging sensors, and these were compared to theoretical and existing technological solutions. To ensure the optimal use of UWB sensors, a special emphasis was placed on certain influencing factors, such as ways of locating via UWB and factors affecting measurement accuracies, such as the line of sight, multipath propagation, the effect of shielding and the ideal measurement setup. A conducted experiment showed that the most accurate results are obtained when there is no multipath propagation and the arriving signal travels directly from the transmitter to the receiver.

Keywords: mining; sensor measurements; sensors; ultra-wide band.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a) QORVO sensor tag attached to the drift wall; and (b) position of the anchors and moving target.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Depictured are Sensor Anchors A1 and A2 in different scenarios, on the left side is interrupted Line of Sight whereas on the right side we have clear Line of Sight from A1 to A2.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Sensor data consisting of four anchors (red triangles), 2 parallel targets (brown and black dot in between triangles) and one moving target (green dot at the top left). The numbers shown beneath the symbols are the coordinates of the sensors in 3D (x, y, z-axes) with the initiator anchor at the bottom left with (0,0,0) coordinates.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Sketch of a possible sensor layout to mitigate shielding. The light green areas are recognized by a single sensor, and the dark green areas are covered by several sensors whose effective radius are overlapping.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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