Boulanger, Pierre 
  
3 CONCLUSION 
This prototype system demonstrates that by using a combination of high-speed network, virtual reality displays, and 
advanced sensor technology, one can create a tool that will help decision-makers make informed decisions on the daily 
operations of a complex industrial site. This technology however is only at its early stage and many research challenges 
must be solved before such a system becomes fully operational in a mine. 
One of these research challenges will be in the collection and transmission of data from a large fleet of mobile mining 
machines distributed over a large territory. For a large operation, each piece of equipment should transmit their current 
location and all vital data necessary for maintenance and process optimization through wireless communication. In the 
mine of the future, there will be a need to develop advanced wireless communication networks capable of dealing with 
this mass of information. 
The second challenge is the collection and modeling of the current information available on the site. The next 
generation of virtualized reality systems should be able to connect to existing databases and should automatically 
extract the pertinent information in a form that is compatible with its internal representation. 
The third challenge consists of developing new algorithms capable of automatically updating the central model from 
new knowledge about the site. For example: 
* update of the terrain model as a function of digging from multiple-sources, 
e addition of new equipment, 
* correction and validation of information, 
e addition and registration of various sensing modalities: ex: infrared sensor + range sensor. 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
This project is the result of a collaboration between MDRobotics, the Canadian Space Agency, the National Research 
Council, RSI, GasTOPS, and Syncrude, co-funded by PRECARN Associates. 
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