Development of underground mine monitoring and communication system integrated ZigBee and GIS

An automated underground mine monitoring and communication system based on the integration of new technologies is introduced to promote safety and health, operational management and cost-effectiveness. The proposed system integration considering wireless sensor network (WSN) assisted geographic information system (GIS) enables to monitor and control underground mining applications from surface office. Based on the capabilities of WSNs, ZigBee network is adapted for near real-time monitoring, ventilation system control and emergency communication in underground mine. ZigBee nodes were developed to sense environmental attributes such as temperature, humidity and gases concentration; switching ON and OFF ventilation fans; and texting emergency messages. A trigger action plan for monitored attributes above normal and threshold value limits is programmed in the surface GIS management server. It is designed to turn the auxiliary fans on remotely or automatically in orange condition and sending evacuation messages for underground miners in unsafe (red) condition. Multi-users operation and 3D visualizations are other successful achievements of the proposed system for the underground monitoring and communication

Underground Mining Monitoring and Communication Systems based on ZigBee and GIS

ZigBee as a wireless sensor network (WSN) was developed for underground mine monitoring and communication systems. The radio wave attenuations between ZigBee nodes were investigated to measure underground communication distances. Various sensor node arrangements of ZigBee topologies were evaluated. A system integration of a WSN-assisted GIS for underground mining monitoring and communication from a surface office was proposed. The controllable and uncontrollable parameters of underground environments were assessed to establish a reliable ZigBee network

MAC Protocols for Industrial Delay-Sensitive Applications in Industry 4.0: Exploring Challenges, Protocols, and Requirements

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is expected to enable Industry 4.0 through the extensive deployment of low-power devices. However, industrial applications require, most of the time, high reliability close to 100% and low end-to-end delays. This corresponds to very challenging objectives in wireless (lossy) environments. This delay can be disastrous in time-sensitive industrial IoT deployments where immediate detection and actions impact security, safety, and machine failures. With an efficient MAC protocol, data will be provided quickly to enable the IoT to be fully effective for mission-critical applications. Efficient medium sharing is even more difficult in IIoT due to ultra-low latency, high reliability, and high quality of service (QoS) compared to best-effort for IoT. This article does not survey all existing MAC protocols for IoTs, which was already done in other works. The goal of this paper is to analyze existing MAC protocols that are more suitable for IIoT