Australian Droid + Robot (ADR), a leader in robotic data acquisition for challenging environments, has unveiled its new Docking Station for the Explora XL robot: a development that, it says, is engineered to unlock true, persistent autonomy for underground mining operations.
This Docking Station enables robots to live and work permanently underground without the need for human intervention, according to the company, eliminating the conflict between critical data capture and production, allowing mines to operate without interruption.
ADR explained: “For decades, essential underground tasks like surveying, inspection and gas sensing have required costly production shutdowns and exposed personnel to hazardous environments. These necessary pauses in production can cost a typical mine over A$250,000 ($164,277) per week. The ADR System, now complete with the Docking Station, directly solves this long-standing challenge by automating these processes on-demand.”
The ruggedised Docking Station serves as an autonomous home for the Explora robot, providing:
- Automated charging: Keeps the robot powered and ready for missions 24/7;
- Sensor cleaning: A pneumatic system ensures that critical sensors, such as LiDAR and cameras, are kept free of dust and debris for precise data collection; and
- Secure data transfer: Automatically and securely uploads mission data to the mine network, integrating with existing mine planning software.
“This isn’t just a piece of hardware; it’s the key to unlocking the full potential of data driven mining efficiency and safety,” Joe Cronin, co-Founder and CEO of Australian Droid + Robot, said. “The Docking Station makes our Explora robot a truly persistent asset that lives underground. It delivers a future where critical data collection and production are no longer in conflict. This means more production time for operators and, most importantly, fewer people having to enter potentially hazardous areas.”
The system enhances the capabilities of integrated payloads, such as the Emesent Hovermap LiDAR scanner, by ensuring the robot is always ready to capture accurate 3D maps for surveying, geological inspection and convergence monitoring, ADR says. More frequent and more reliable data delivers analysis and decision making with less uncertainty enabling sustainable mining in a future where resources will become more complex to extract.
