Study of Drive-by-wire for underground mining machines : an enabler for autonomous driving

Abstract

The aim of this thesis was to study and present alternative concepts for brake-by-wire and steer-by-wire systems for an underground mining machine and to select the most suitable option. The study analyzed the advantages, challenges, and requirements of these technologies in the mining environment, particularly from the perspectives of safety, reliability, and automation readiness. Based on standards and other key regulations, requirements for system design were defined. Various concepts were presented based on these requirements and evaluated using two different assessment methods. Finally, a high-level architecture design was developed based on the selected concepts, defining the key components, signal transmission, and system control structures to meet the specified requirements.

The key results of the study indicated that a fail-safe electro-hydraulic braking system was selected as the brake-by-wire concept, while a steering system with redundant components was chosen as the steer-by-wire concept. The findings of this study will be utilized in the design of mining machines and the development of future autonomous mining vehicles, where safety and reliability are critical requirements.