The effect of vibration on the tactile sensing of geological environments

Research into the reconstruction of geological images from the tactile sensing of cutting forces on mining machines is briefly reviewed. The methods employed for the successful removal of machine-generated, nongeological components of low-frequency are presented. Methods of feature enhancement by moving, across-frame averaging, and gradient accentuation are presented along with examples of the resulting images. The successful performance of the techniques under simulated dynamic conditions is illustrated. The possibility of phase-locked vibrations of the cutting system causing erroneous impressions of geological stratifications is examined. A simulation model is developed, and results that indicate some spatial drift between successive sequences of vibration etched by the cutting picks on the wall being cut are presented. The drift patterns are complex, however, and the case is made for having cautious optimism that cutting vibrations may not mask geological hardness patterns in the processed pick-force image. It is concluded that further investigation is needed