Robot dog reporting for duty: Kazakhstan mine safety at a new level
A robot dog developed to improve mine safety has been presented in Kazakhstan. The presentation of the unique tool took place in the Astana Hub technology park. The main purpose of the robot is to prevent emergency situations related to gas leaks, Kazinform News Agency reports.
“Every year, a significant number of workers die at enterprises in Kazakhstan either from gas leaks in mines or from gas explosions. Gas explosions occur due to untimely response to a gas leak. Thus, bypassing mines, eliminating people and the human factor from such life-threatening situations, allows us to prevent emergency situations and ensure the safety of employees in production,” said Darina Mamyrova, head of the development and innovation department.
The robot is equipped with advanced systems: a camera with a 360-degree view, a thermal imager, and a Kazakhstani gas analyzer. It can operate autonomously or be controlled manually by the operator.
"While the robot is walking around the mine, whether in autonomous or manual mode, the gas analyzer collects data on the condition and quality of the air. In the event of any abnormal activity, for example, too high a level of carbon dioxide or too low a level of oxygen, it automatically sends an alarm to the situation center, the control center above ground, that is, not in the mine. And thus, the dispatcher can quickly respond to this situation, evacuate workers, and so on," Mamyrova explained.
In addition, the robot supports voice control in the Kazakh language, which makes it easier to operate. The development is based on the Chinese Unitree model, which costs $10.000.
"For many Kazakhstani enterprises, even small and private ones, the robot is affordable in terms of cost. This is precisely why we chose it. It is very affordable in price compared to many analogues," Mamyrova noted.
The first successful test of the device's capabilities took place at the Nurkazgan mine of the Kazakhmys company.
"We have assessed the feasibility of the project and are convinced that this is an area that we should develop further. And at the moment we are busy equipping the robot with other sensors for collecting information and various additional equipment for interacting with the environment," the manager added.
The technological complex promises to be a significant step in improving the working conditions of miners and preventing tragic incidents.
It bears to remind that the Kostenko mine tragedy claimed lives of 46 miners in October 2023 in Karaganda region.
