ROBOMINERS – Developing a bio-inspired modular robot-miner for difficult to access mineral deposits

Abstract

Abstract. Within the ROBOMINERS project an innovative technology for the future exploitation of small and difficult to access mineral deposits is being studied. The project has two main objectives. First, the development of a bioinspired reconfigurable robotic miner prototype, able to navigate, explore and mine selectively with a certain degree of autonomy. The robot-miner will be able to work under different conditions, making the exploitation of many mineral deposits economically feasible, while reducing social and environmental impacts associated with conventional mining methods. The second objective is the creation of a vision of a new mining ecosystem, its function, parts, research roadmaps and visions for years 2030 and 2050, including creation of novel ideas from other sectors, particularly robotics. The robotic ecosystem concept will be tested in representative sites across Europe with simulations, showcasing the different mining environments and conditions where it can be applied.

Research and Innovation in Exploration and Mining of Raw Materials: The ROBOMINERS Project

“…The overall strategic objective of the ROBOMINERS project is to enable EU access to strategic mineral resources, and especially rare metals and elements required for high-tech applications [3]. The ROBOMINERS concept has been driven by the European Union's initiative to depend on supply from domestic sources and avoid the import of mineral raw materials [3,5,6]. The EU's policy on raw materials promotes the exploration and mining of resources that were considered economically or technologically unfeasible in the past.…”

“…-Economy and criticality. The project focuses on raw material resources, of which exploitation by conventional mining may be expensive, but the specific value of the ore is high, or it includes critical elements [3,4]. Raw materials which are economically feasible to explore by conventional mining technology are not considered favorable for the project.…”

“…The project introduces robotization and miniaturization technologies (robotic autonomous explorers and miners) which allow localization and mapping of an orebody, extraction planning, optimization of extraction, and real-time selective mineralogy. The project targets mineral deposits that are generally considered "non-economical" either because they are not accessible anymore for conventional mining techniques, or they have been formerly explored but exploitation was considered uneconomic (abandoned, small, ultra-depth deposits) [3,4].…”

Maneuvering on non-Newtonian fluidic terrain: a survey of animal and bio-inspired robot locomotion techniques on soft yielding grounds

“…The problem of locomotion in deformable grounds is important to solve because it would facilitate new robotic applications such as search and rescue in wet forests, muddy fields, avalanches, and mudslides ( Schneider and Wildermuth, 2016 ); for the agricultural vehicles operating on wet soils (e.g., rice fields) ( Duckett et al., 2018 ; Oliveira et al., 2021 ); for exploration or excavation of materials (e.g., wood and ore) with a minimal environmental impact ( Billingsley et al., 2008 ; Lopes et al., 2020 ); for environmental monitoring in high-biodiversity areas (e.g., river estuaries, bogs, and shores) ( Dunbabin and Marques, 2012 ); or for extra-terrestrial exploration ( Li and Lewis, 2022 ).…”

Preface: State of the art in mineral exploration

“…While conventional methods still dominate the market, novel approaches or methods adopted from the oil and gas industry are gaining acceptance in mineral exploration. The use of advanced geophysical techniques (Malehmir et al, 2012;Dentith et al, 2018), geochemical big data analysis (Zuo and Xiong, 2018;Yousefi et al, 2019), high resolution remote sensing tools (Kirsch et al, 2018;Adiri et al, 2020), or even uncrewed robotic devices (Lopes et al, 2020), are revolutionising the search for resources worldwide. These advances have spurred the launch of multiple research projects in the last decade, aimed to develop novel exploration tools and methodologies.…”