The Husky unmanned ground vehicle can be outfitted with a variety of different sensors. Photo: Clearpath Robotics.

by Scott Kesselman

The University of Chile’s Department of Electrical Engineering and the Advanced Mining Technology Center are using the Clearpath Robotics Husky unmanned ground vehicle to improve complex sensor data in the mines for accurate robotic mining activities.



The project collects motion characteristics from Husky and noise characteristics from radar, laser and vision-based sensors to model open pit and underground mines. This research will enable reliable sensing for tele-operated and autonomous mining.



“Our project develops existing technologies so that terrain surface profile and mine mapping information can be extracted from noisy sensor data,” says Dr. Martin Adams, professor at the University of Chile. “Our Husky-based sensing system will contribute significantly to the success and efficiency in which future mining operations take place.”



The main goal of the project is to minimize manpower in Chile’s dangerous mining environments, according to a Clearpath press release. A leading Chilean mining company has shown interest in the research and is currently discussing how to integrate the technology into the workforce. 



“There is an interest in robotics and automation technologies for resource extraction, both to increase productivity and improve worker safety,” says Julian Ware, general manager of research products at Clearpath.



3-D footage and large data sets collected from the project are being submitted to the International Journal of Robotics Research. 

<< Back to the News