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VRLANE: A DESKTOP VIRTUAL NAVIGATION AND SAFETY MONITORING 
PORGRAM FOR UNDERGROUND COAL MINE 
M. Li a ’ *, J. Z. Chen b , S. J. Mao a , W. Xiong c 
a Institute of Remote Sensing and Geographie Information System, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China - 
mli@pku.edu.cn 
b School of Resource and Safety Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology, Beijing 100083, P. R. China 
- jingzhuchenchen@gmail.com 
c Beijing Longman Science & Technology Co., Ltd, Beijing 100080, P.R.China -martypku@163.com 
Commission V, WG V/4 
KEY WORDS: Visualization, Reconstruction, Computer Vision, Simulation, Disaster Management, Underground Laneway, 
Navigation 
ABSTRACT: 
Many coal mine companies have established underground safety monitor and control systems. However, the safety management 
information can only be displayed on the 2D maps or as reports. In this paper, a new method that combines the VR technologies 
with underground mine safety monitoring technologies was explored. A desktop virtual reality program for underground coal mine, 
called VRLane, was developed. As far as supervisors, visitors or trainees are concerned, they do not need to go the dangerous 
underground mining sites. On the contrary, they can investigate underground safety information on a PC or a remote console. It is 
one of the most attractive features of VRLane. Safety monitoring data obtained from underground mine equipments can be accessed 
by “clicking” the relevant piece of equipment model when walking or roaming in the virtual laneway. The paper mainly concerned 
about the current research advance in VR, system design, key techniques and system application. Several important techniques were 
introduced in the paper. Firstly, an algorithm was designed and implemented, with which the 3D laneway models and equipment 
models can be built on the basis of the latest mine 2D drawings automatically. Secondly, VRLane realized system integration with 
underground industrial automation. The system, with advantages of cheap, dynamic, easy to maintenance, provided a useful tool for 
safety production management in coal mine. 
1. INTRODUCTION 
With the development of computer science and spatial 
information technologies, new technologies, such as GIS, 
visualization, virtual reality and augment reality, turn to be the 
promising research fields for coal mine industrial 
informationization. Especially, VR technologies, which provide 
effective, simple and realistic ways for mine safety, mine 
worker training, accident investigation and equipment 
simulation, would improve the technology foundation of 
“Digital Mine” strategy greatly (Wu Lixin, 2004). Nowadays, 
many international research organizations in Australia, U.S.A., 
Germany, South Africa and U.K. are engaging into employing 
VR for mining. Also in China, Peking University (PKU), China 
University of Mining and Technology (CUMT) and other 
research institutes begin to introduce VR technologies into 
mining research field. However, unlike its application in urban 
planning, machine design, medicine and other fields, big 
technological gaps held application back in mining industry. 
There were still many bottlenecks waiting for solutions, such as 
3D underground environment reconstruction automatically, 3D 
spatial geometric data organization, and man-machine dynamic 
operation. 
In a two-year research period, a research group in Peking 
University has explored a new way to solve these technical 
problems. We tried to apply VR technologies into mine safety 
monitoring and controlling, and developed a desktop virtual 
safety management program for underground coal mine from 
the bottom layer, called VRLane. The paper explained system 
design, key techniques and system application of VRLane. 
2. CURRENT STATUS 
Virtual reality offers great promise to the mining industry. 
During several decades, researchers in universities and other 
research organizations are seeking ways to help the industry 
capitalize on its potential. Australia's Commonwealth Scientific 
and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has developed 
techniques for providing data in real-time from an underground 
longwall system on the web. One result will be a better 
description of the status of the mining process as it proceeds. 
Another is a training system that enhances the operator's 
understanding of his or her role in the longwall mining process. 
Research group of University of New South Wales used three 
large-screen projection units to create an underground coal 
mine. Their program is scenario-based and requires trainees to 
answer various safety-related questions as they “move” through 
the mine and thereby the story. University of Queensland 
created VR applications to address a number of mining industry 
issues such as safety training, mining engineering education, 
accident reconstruction, data visualization, mine planning, and 
environmental hazard assessment. University of Nottingham 
* Corresponding author mli@pku.edu.cn, phone+8610 6275 5420, fax+8610 62751187.