Computer assisted guidance of an underground mine truck

This paper describes component installation and testing of computer assisted control of an underground, diesel-powered, articulated haul truck. The sensing components are four ultrasonic transducers, four wheel encoders and two steering-cylinder linear potentiometers. On-board, 68030-processor based computing hardware controls engine idle, fuel shutoff transmission direction and speed selector, engine starter, parking and driving brakes, and steering. Control algorithms are encoded in C using the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Real-time Control System (RCS) architecture. A 480 kHz transmitter and receiver enables remote manual control. The truck successfully negotiated a simulated mine corridor located on the Colorado School of Mines campus 17 times in first and second gear without collisions