Patents
The wireless information and safety system for mines of the invention enables continuously tracking and monitoring underground miners and moveable equipment in underground mines using ZigBee-enabled active RFID devices forming a wireless network among them and other static and mobile ZigBee devices placed at strategic locations. The invention provides a wireless information and safety system for mines comprises in combination of ZigBee-compliant devices (programmable to operate as end devices, routers and coordinators by hardware specific embedded software) and Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) software having various application modules both for underground and opencast mines. Use of the system of the invention would help in identifying the miners entering in underground mine to keep the track of the miners and maintain computerized attendance. This would help in monitoring equipment locations and their operation to improve productivity and reduce fatal collision accident. This would help in locating and tracking the miners in case of disaster for speedy rescue operation. This would help in monitoring miners' unsafe practice and providing warning to the respective miner. This would further help in real time monitoring environmental parameters in underground mine. This would also help in sending coded message to the concerned person in underground mine. This would further help in monitoring movement of dumpers in opencast mine, which will ultimately help in optimum shovel-dumper performance and improving productivity.