Applications and Development of Intelligent UAVs for the Resource Industries

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dc.contributor.authorBishop, Richard Edwinen
dc.contributor.committeechairRipepi, Nino S.en
dc.contributor.committeememberKarmis, Michael E.en
dc.contributor.committeememberLuxbacher, Kramer Davisen
dc.contributor.committeememberChen, Chengen
dc.contributor.departmentMining Engineeringen
dc.date.accessioned2022-04-22T08:00:36Zen
dc.date.available2022-04-22T08:00:36Zen
dc.date.issued2022-04-21en
dc.description.abstractDrones have become an integral part of the digital transformation currently sweeping the mining industry; particularly in surface operations, where they allow operators to model the terrain quickly and effortlessly with GPS localization and advanced mission planning software. Recently, the usage of drones has expanded to underground mines, with advancements in drone autonomy in GPS-denied environments. Developments in lidar technology and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithms are enabling UAVs to function safely underground where they can be used to map workings and digitally reconstruct them into 3D point clouds for a wide variety of applications. Underground mines can be expansive with inaccessible and dangerous areas preventing safe access for traditional inspections, mapping and monitoring. In addition, abandoned mines and historic mines being reopened may lack reliable maps of sufficient detail. The underground mine environment presents a multitude of unique challenges that must be addressed for reliable drone flights. This work covers the development of drones for GPS-denied underground mines, in addition to several case studies where drone-based lidar and photogrammetry were used to capture 3D point clouds of underground mines, and the associated applications of mine digitization, such as geotechnical analysis and pillar strength analysis. This research also features an applied use case of custom drones built to detect methane leaks at natural gas production and distribution sites.en
dc.description.abstractgeneralDrones have become an integral part of the digital transformation currently sweeping the mining industry; particularly in surface operations, where they allow operators to model the terrain quickly and effortlessly. Recently, the usage of drones has expanded to underground mines, with advancements in drone autonomy. New developments are enabling UAVs to function safely underground where they can be used to digitally reconstruct workings for a wide variety of applications. Underground mines can be expansive with inaccessible and dangerous areas preventing safe access for traditional inspections, mapping and monitoring. In addition, abandoned mines and historic mines being reopened may lack reliable maps of sufficient detail. The underground mine environment presents a multitude of unique challenges that must be addressed for reliable drone flights. This work covers the development of drones for GPS-denied underground mines, in addition to several case studies where drones were used to create 3D models of mines, and the associated applications of mine digitization. This research also features an applied use case of custom drones built to detect methane leaks at natural gas production and distribution sites.en
dc.description.degreeDoctor of Philosophyen
dc.format.mediumETDen
dc.identifier.othervt_gsexam:34320en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/109724en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en
dc.subjectUAVen
dc.subjectUASen
dc.subjectdroneen
dc.subjectGPS-denieden
dc.subjectBVLOSen
dc.subjectlidaren
dc.subjectphotogrammetryen
dc.subjectremote sensingen
dc.subjectunderground miningen
dc.subjectmethane emissionsen
dc.subjectleak detectionen
dc.subjectdrone-based surveysen
dc.subjectmine digitizationen
dc.subjectpoint clouden
dc.subjectreality captureen
dc.subjectmining engineeringen
dc.titleApplications and Development of Intelligent UAVs for the Resource Industriesen
dc.typeDissertationen
thesis.degree.disciplineMining Engineeringen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophyen

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