Empress Catherine II Saint-Petersburg Mining University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia

D. N. Ligotsky, Deputy Head of Department, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, Associate Professor
N. A. Dolgushin, Post-Graduate Student, ndae9903@gmail.com

Russia possesses many mineral dep osits which are difficult for mining because of their location in harsh climatic and geological conditions. Operations in such areas face the problems connected with attraction of qualified personnel in mines, and with the elevated cost of the mining process, which creates the need to reduce the cost of a mineral. One of successful methods already implemented at a number of mines with a view to solving these problems is introduction of robotic equipment at open pits, which allows minimizing human participation in hazardous production operations. The unmanned technology not only contributes to dealing with personnel issues, but also brings changes in mining systems, which has a positive effect on productivity of machinery, as well as can reduce environmental impact of mining activities. The use of unmanned machines, due to reduction of some operating costs, reduces the cost of mining and transportation of rocks. This article considers the advantages of the unmanned technology application at the deposits developed by openpit mining systems. The influence of the unmanned technology on the parameters of mining systems is studied. It is shown that the use of robotic equipment can influence beneficially technical, economic, social and environmental indicators, which will enhance efficiency of a mine. Possible problems in integration of the unmanned technology in the mining process are formulated and the ways of their solution are proposed. The world and domestic experience of the unmanned technology application in mine fields is analyzed. The characteristics of unmanned dump truck models from a number of mining machinery manufacturers are studied. The trends in development of the unmanned technology market are predicted.

1. Abroskin A. S. Use of modern systems of automation of open cast mining. Bulletin of the Tomsk Polytechnic University. Geo Assets Engineering. 2015. Vol. 236, No. 12. pp. 122–130.
2. Ivanov S. L., Ivanova P. V., Kuvshinkin S. Yu. Promising model range career excavators operating time assessment in real operating conditions. Journal of Mining Institute. 2020. Vol. 242. pp. 228–233.
3. Velikanov V.S. Mining excavator working equipment load forecasting according to a fuzzy-logistic model. Journal of Mining Institute. 2020. Vol. 241. pp. 29–36.
4. Zenkov I. V., Kiryushina E. V., Vokin V. N., Maglinets Yu. A. Review of global trends in meeting the ecological challenges of the mining industry. Part I: International research. Eurasian Mining. 2022. No. 1. pp. 90–94.
5. Lööw J. Understanding technology in mining and its effect on the work environment. Mineral Economics. 2022. Vol. 35, Iss. 1. pp. 143–154.
6. Price R., Cornelius M., Burnside L., Miller B. Mine planning and selection of autonomous trucks. Proceedings of the 28^th International Symposium on Mine Planning and Equipment Selection. Springer Series in Geomechanics and Geoengineering. Cham : Springer, 2020. pp. 203–212.
7. Voronov A. Yu., Voronov Yu. E., Syrkin I. S., Nazarenko S. V., Yunusov I. F. A review of unmanned haulage systems at open-pit mines. Ugol. 2022. Special issue No. S12. pp. 30–36.
8. Khazin M. L. Autonomous mining dump trucks. Izvestiya Uralskogo gosudarstvennogo gornogo universiteta. 2020. No. 3(59). pp. 123–130.
9. Kazanin O. I., Sidorenko A. A., Evsiukova A. A., Liu Z. Justification of the longwall panel entries support technology when mining gently inclined coal seams at large depths. MIAB. 2023. No. 9-1. pp. 5–21.
10. Fomin S. I., Govorov A. S. Strategy of formation of operating space in open pit mines based on cut-off grade control. MIAB. 2024. No. 11. pp. 165–179.
11. Loginov E. V., Kara S. V., Masalskiy S. S., Petrov K. D. Justification of parameters of open pit mining using truck-and-shovel systems in the Extreme North. MIAB. 2024. No. 6. pp. 17–30.
12. Trubetskoy K. N., Rylnikova M. V., Vladimirov D. Ya. From the system Pit to the new intellectual structure of open cast mining. Problemy nedropolzovaniya. 2019. No. 3(22). pp. 39–48.
13. Lel Yu. I., Glebov I. A. Justification of optimal gradient of steeply inclined ramps for all-wheel drive dump trucks used in diamond deposit completion. Gornaya Promyshlennost. 2022. No. 1S. pp. 95–99.
14. Tsirel S. V., Pavlovich A. A., Melnikov N. Ya. Application of physical modeling for establish criteria of loss of pit wall’s stability. Izvestiya Tulskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Nauki o Zemle. 2017. No. 2. pp. 145–152.
15. Ismagilov R. I., Kozub A. V., Badtiev B. P., Pavlovich A. A. Implementation monitoring of safety at the construction area of a steep-inclined conveyer complex at the south open pit of Mikhailovsky GOK. Gornaya Promyshlennost. 2020. No. 1. pp. 120–126.
16. Afanasyev A., Safiullin R., Kuznetsova E., Podoprigora N., Vaga V. Conceptual approaches to traffic monitoring design under varying conditions of vehicle traffic. Engineering Management of Communication and Technology : 2022 International Conference. Vienna, 2022. DOI: 10.1109/EMCTECH55220.2022.9934067
17. Fomin S. I., Ovsyannikov M. P. Substantiation of the optimal performance parameters for a quarry during the stage-wise development of steeply dipping ore deposits. Journal of Mining Institute. 2022. DOI: 10.31897/PMI.2022.73
18. Gaber T., Jazouli Y. E. I., Eldesouky E., Ali A. Autonomous haulage systems in the mining industry: Cybersecurity, communication and safety issues and challenges. Electronics. 2021. Vol. 10. Iss. 11. ID 1357.
19. Yurak V. V., Dushin A. V., Mochalova L. A. Sustainable development: scenarios for the future. Journal of Mining Institute. 2020. Vol. 242. pp. 242–247.
20. Marinin M. A., Pospehov G. B., Sushkova V. I., Pomortseva A. A., Moseykin V. V. Experience of trial percolation in heap leaching pile of sandy–clayey rocks. MIAB. 2024. No. 8. pp. 51–62.
21. Xu X., Gu X., Wang Q., Zhao Y., Wang Z. Open pit limit optimization considering economic profit, ecological costs and social benefits. Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China. 2021. Vol. 31, Iss. 12. pp. 3847–3861.
22. Xu X., Gu X., Wang Q., Gao X., Liu J. et al. Production scheduling optimization considering ecologic al costs for open pit metal mines. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018. Vol. 180. pp. 210–221.
23. Rylnikova M. V., Vladimirov D. Ya., Pytalev I. A., Popova T. M. Robotic geotechnologies as way of improving efficiency and ecologization of mineral resource management. Journal of Mining Science. 2017. Vol. 53, No. 1. pp. 84–91.
24. Li J., Zhan K. Intelligent mining technology for an underground metal mi ne based on unmanned equipment. Engineering. 2018. Vol. 4, Iss. 3. pp. 381–391.
25. Reshetnyak S. P. Main problems of new generation open pit mines design. Journal of Mining Institute. 2012. Vol. 197. pp. 154–158.
26. Akishev A. N., Babaskin S. L., Syryanov I. V., Kozhemyakin A. A., Federyaev O. V. Analysis of the results of experimental-industrial trials of opening schemes by steeply inclined ramps and running of mining and transport equipment with remote control systems (on the example of open pit Udachny). MIAB. 2015. No. S1-1. pp. 357–370.
27. Sizemov D. N., Temkin I. O., Deryabin S. A., Vladimirov D. Ya. On some aspects of increasing the target productivity of unmanned mine dump trucks. Eurasian Mining. 2021. No. 2. pp. 68–73.
28. Gusakov G. B. Promising trends of advancement in BELAZ machinery. Gornaya Promyshlennost. 2021. No. 3. pp. 44–47.
29. KAMAZ’ Jupiter—A Nova in the Range of Opencast Dump Trucks. 2022. Available at: https://kamaz.ru/about/history/ (accessed: 20.12.2024).
30. Voronov Yu., Voronov A., Makhambayev D. Current State and Development Prospects of Autonomous Haulage at Surface Mines. Proceedings of the 5^th International Innovative Mining Symposium. E3S Web of Conferences. 2020. Vol. 174. ID 01028.
31. Safiullin R. N., Safiullin R. R., Efremova V. A. Method of complex assessment of on-board information and control systems on mining machines. MIAB. 2023. No. 9-1. pp. 49–63.
32. Komatsu celebrates 10th anniversary of commercial deployment of Autonomous Haulage System (AHS):100-AHS-trucks-in-operation milestone inspires plans to accelerate pace of mining automation. 2018. Available at: https://www.komatsu.jp/en/newsroom/2018/20180129 (accessed: 20.12.2024).
33. Stenin D. V. Prospects for the development of the production of autonomous heavy platforms for unmanned mining. Gornoe oborudovanie i elektromekhanika. 2019. No. 6(146). pp. 3–8.
34. Ushakov A. E. Deserted mining technologies. Present-Day Problems in Mining and Metallurgy. Science and Production : Proceedings of the 18^th All-Russian Conference with International Participation. Staryi Oskol : Starooskolskiy tekhnologicheskiy institut (filial) NITU MISiS, 2021. Vol. 1. pp. 246–252.
35. Eremeeva A. M., Ilyashenko I. S., Korshunov G. I. The possibility of application of bioadditives to diesel fuel at mining enterprises. MIAB. 2022. No. 10-1. pp. 39–49.
36. Sorokin O. I., Shokov A. A. Introduction of automated control over mining and transportation. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2017. No. 5. pp. 85–88.
37. Zhang K., Kang L., Chen X., He M., Zhu C. et al. A Review of Intelligent Unmanned Mining Current Situation and Development Trend. Energies. 2022. Vol. 15, Iss. 2. ID 513.
38. Dubinkin D. M., Maksimova O. S. The current state of digitalization and robotization in open-pit mining. Natural and Intellectual Resources of Siberia. SibResource–2022 : The 19^th International Conference Proceedings. Kemerovo : Kuzbasskiy gosudarstvennyi tekhnicheskiy universitet im. T. F. Gorbacheva, 2022. pp. 501.1–501.8.
39. Global Autonomous Mining Truck Population Tops 1,000 : Report. 2022. Available at: https://www.globaldata.com/data-insights/automotive/global-autonomousmining-truck-population-tops-1000/ (accessed: 20.09.2024).