Design and evaluation of a virtual reality training system for new underground rockbolters

The need for development of better training techniques for underground rock bolters is signified by the fact that a large number of experienced miners (Baby Boomers) will be retiring soon. This means that there will be very little interface time between the new miners and the experienced miners, which could have been used for training the new inexperienced miners. A new generation of workers (Nexters), who have grown up with computers and video games will replace the Baby Boomers, and the most efficient way to introduce them to the safety and health issues of the mining industry is to use a new form of training to take advantage of their technological skills. MinerSIM is an augmented virtual reality system with integrated hypermedia that is suitable for training underground miners in the basics of using a jackleg drill to install rockbolts. The first part of MinerSIM, which is a Web tutorial on underground rockbolting consisting of text material, three dimensional images, animations, and videos was evaluated using qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Usability experiments performed underscore the need to evaluate a new product to ensure that it meets the requirements of users. Statistical results from comparative experiment to investigate the effectiveness of computer based training versus the standard or traditional method indicate that a task must be sufficiently complex in order to render a traditional paper based method less effective than a computer based method. Additionally, participants in the computer based group (n = 25) rated the task more positively than those in the paper based group (n = 25) --Abstract, page iii

Advances in Computational Intelligence Applications in the Mining Industry

This book captures advancements in the applications of computational intelligence (artificial intelligence, machine learning, etc.) to problems in the mineral and mining industries. The papers present the state of the art in four broad categories: mine operations, mine planning, mine safety, and advances in the sciences, primarily in image processing applications. Authors in the book include both researchers and industry practitioners

Proceedings of the 5th Baltic Mechatronics Symposium - Espoo April 17, 2020

The Baltic Mechatronics Symposium is annual symposium with the objective to provide a forum for young scientists from Baltic countries to exchange knowledge, experience, results and information in large variety of fields in mechatronics. The symposium was organized in co-operation with Taltech and Aalto University. Due to Coronavirus COVID-19 the symposium was organized as a virtual conference. The content of the proceedings1. Monitoring Cleanliness of Public Transportation with Computer Vision2. Device for Bending and Cutting Coaxial Wires for Cryostat in Quantum Computing3. Inertial Measurement Method and Application for Bowling Performance Metrics4. Mechatronics Escape Room5. Hardware-In-the-Loop Test Setup for Tuning Semi-Active Hydraulic Suspension Systems6. Newtonian Telescope Design for Stand-off Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy7. Simulation and Testing of Temperature Behavior in Flat Type Linear Motor Carrier8. Powder Removal Device for Metal Additive Manufacturing9. Self-Leveling Spreader Beam for Adjusting the Orientation of an Overhead Crane Loa

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 133)

This special bibliography lists 276 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System in September 1974

Optimization of Underground Development Advance – A Pragmatic Approach to a Multivariate Problem

This study presents a holistic, pragmatic approach to drill and blast optimisation, utilising a hierarchy of considerations for optimised blast design and demonstrates its effectiveness through its successful application in highly laminated geology at an underground gold mine in Western Australia. The implementation of the optimised design was able to deliver an average cut length 0.3m greater than the operational average while also reducing the standard deviation by 25%, and simultaneously resulted in a cost reduction in consumables of approximately 15% per metre advance

The relative effect of charge dimensions on elastic vibration attenuation and blast-induced seismic energy concepts

This dissertation focuses on expanding the blasting industry\u27s current understanding of the effect of charge geometry on blast vibration attenuation. The work includes a multiple regression analysis of a sample population of signature hole blast vibration data. The regression analysis is used to identify the relative effect of the variables that affect blast vibrations at various distances from the charge. The study suggests that the most common vibration models used in the blasting industry do not use all of the statistically significant variables. Therefore, the models neglect to fully describe the relationship between the significant variables and the blast vibration. The results of the statistical study are used as a foundation for a new method of analyzing and presenting blast vibration data that does fully describe this relationship. Currently, the blasting industry relies on variations of the scaled distance equation and the Z-Curve to predict or illustrate blast vibration characteristics. These methods focus on blast vibration amplitude and frequency, charge weight, and the distance from the charge. However, neither method solely accounts for all of these details. Additionally, both methods omit variables that have a statistically significant effect on blast vibration attenuation. This document shows that the current methods can be improved upon by developing a methodology that focuses on blast vibration energy. Energy, which can account for blast vibration amplitude, frequency, and duration, can be related to all of the statistically significant variables. Energy relationships also have an advantage over the traditional methods since energy is more easily understood by the general public. --Abstract, page iii

Some NASA contributions to human factors engineering: A survey

This survey presents the NASA contributions to the state of the art of human factors engineering, and indicates that these contributions have a variety of applications to nonaerospace activities. Emphasis is placed on contributions relative to man's sensory, motor, decisionmaking, and cognitive behavior and on applications that advance human factors technology

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes, supplement 125

This special bibliography lists 323 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in January 1974