Academician Melnikov Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources—IPKON, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
V. N. Zakharov, Research Manager, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, zakharov_v@ipkonran.ru
D. R. Kaplunov, Chief Researcher, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences
D. N. Radchenko, Leading Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, Associate Professor
R. A. Syrovatskiy, Junior Researcher, Post-Graduate Student

The article examines the key trends of technological process automation and robotization in open stoping as the basis of safe ore drawing and haulage. Employment of remote control and, moreover, autonomous load–haul–dump machines in underground mines necessitates the development of new theoretical approaches to safety of entry and operation of the equipment in stopes. A loading–hauling system can represent a single communication system involving load–haul–dumpers machines working in stopes, technical devices for monitoring stoping space, assessing dynamics of ore draw, detecting hazardous events and processes in stopes, and means for eliminating threats to the troublefree operation of the equipment. The concept of coordinated operation of the autonomous load–haul–dump machines and monitoring devices, integrated into a unified information system, is presented as a diagram of the organization of ore draw and loading operations in a stope, and a basic block diagram of information exchange between the technical devices. As they are implemented, the proposed concept and method for controlling the face oredraw process make it possible, in near-real time, to predict and eliminate hazards, to timely withdraw load–haul–dump machines from stopes, to ensure control of ore draw and haulage, and to achieve full extraction of the valuable mineral.
The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, Grant No. 25-17-00345, https://rscf.ru/project/25-17-00345/.

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