A method and system for monitoring a mining shovel having a boom supported by a plurality of suspension cables is disclosed. The method involves receiving accelerometer signals from a plurality of accelerometers, each accelerometer being mounted on one of the plurality of suspension cables. The method also involves processing the accelerometer signals to extract a fundamental frequency associated with vibration of each suspension cable, the fundamental frequency being proportional to a tension in the suspension cable. The method further involves determining changes in the fundamental frequency as a function of time, the changes being indicative of an operating state of the mining shovel.

A method for controlling movement of a movable element of a mining machine includes the steps of providing a relation between control values for a hydraulic valve arranged to affect a movement of the movable element and a parameter representative of the (resulting) movement of the movable element. The method further includes receiving an input representative of a desired movement of the movable element, obtaining a control value for the hydraulic valve based on the relation, and using a parameter value corresponding to the desired movement, operating the hydraulic valve with a control signal using the obtained control value, obtaining, from a feedback mechanism, a feedback relative to the movement of the movable element resulting from operating the hydraulic valve with the control signal, determining a correction value based on the desired movement and the feedback, and updating at least a part of the relation based on the correction value.

A tunnel tunneling system includes a bolter miner, a bolter-integrated transportation machine, a transfer machine, a self-moving tail and a belt conveyor. The bolter miner includes a rack, a cutting device, a drilling device and a control device. The cutting device is arranged on the rack and is swingable in an up-down direction, and has a lowest swing angle and a highest swing angle. The drilling device is arranged on the rack, and includes a drilling rig and a sensor. The drilling rig is configured to drill a tunnel floor and/or a tunnel roof, and the sensor is configured to monitor a set parameter of the drilling rig and generate a monitoring data signal when the drilling rig is drilling. The control device is configured to receive and analyze the monitoring data signal.

A cutter head includes a first member, a cutting bit, and a second member. The first member includes a first end and a second end and includes a first mass. The cutting bit is coupled to the first member proximate the second end. The cutting bit includes a cutting edge rotatable about the axis. The second member is rotatable about the axis and includes a second mass eccentrically positioned with respect to the axis. Rotation of the second mass causes the first member and the cutting bit to oscillate.

A rock-piercing flexible rock drilling robot and a rock breaking method therefor are disclosed. The robot includes a control system, a head, and at least one tail. The head includes a head housing, a propulsion turntable, a drilling mechanism, a hydraulic propulsion system, a first driving mechanism, and a second driving mechanism. The propulsion turntable includes a drill bit located at a center thereof and a cutting turntable arranged around the drill bit. The first driving mechanism is connected to the drill bit, and the second driving mechanism is connected to the cutting turntable. The tail includes a tail housing, an advancing and retreating power system, and a fixed support system. The head and the tail are connected through a flexible component, and the tails are connected through flexible components.

A system for detecting a potential collision between an object and a mining machine, the system comprising: a sensor, a first strobe light and a second strobe light, and an electronic processor configured to identify a virtual perimeter around at least a portion of the mining machine, identify a plurality of collision zones, the plurality of collision zones including at least one immediate collision zone and at least one potential collision zone, receive a signal from a sensor indicating detection of the object in one of the plurality of collision zones, determine, based on the signal, whether the object is in the immediate collision zone or the potential collision zone, generate, in response to determining that the object is in the potential collision zone, a first indication, and generate, in response to determining that the object is in the immediate collision zone, a second indication different than the first indication.

Disclosed herein are a method and system for providing backwards compatibility between software versions of supervisory system software executing on a supervisory system and on device control software executing on a device under control of the supervisory system, wherein the on device control software executes on a computing module located on the device to act as an intermediary between the supervisory system and device software running on the device. Providing backwards compatibility between software versions enables upgrade schedules to be more flexible and no longer requires the supervisory system and all devices under control of the supervisory system to be upgraded at the same time.

A tunnel tunneling system includes a bolter miner, a bolter-integrated transportation machine, a transfer machine, a self-moving tail and a belt conveyor. The bolter miner includes a rack, a cutting device, a drilling device and a control device. The cutting device is arranged on the rack and is swingable in an up-down direction, and has a lowest swing angle and a highest swing angle. The drilling device is arranged on the rack, and includes a drilling rig and a sensor. The drilling rig is configured to drill a tunnel floor and/or a tunnel roof, and the sensor is configured to monitor a set parameter of the drilling rig and generate a monitoring data signal when the drilling rig is drilling. The control device is configured to receive and analyze the monitoring data signal.

A mining system with an inertial guidance system configured to enable precise excavation of geological material without a need to advance a survey line over a long distance and/or nonlinear excavation path, thereby maximizing productivity of the mind by minimizing a width of un-mined material necessary for support between adjacent excavation paths and minimizing equipment downtime.