Potential and challenges of VLC based IPS in underground mines

Abstract

Chile is the largest copper producer in the world. In the world, almost 40% of copper is produced underground and it is expected that the activity will reach the 60% of the total mining activity. Because of this, there will be new challenges in terms of safety and productivity. Visible Light Communications (VLC) is a new technology capable to provide illumination and communication at the same time. This technology has shown high accuracy in localization and tacking for indoor scenarios. Nevertheless, most of the applications that can be found in literature assumes square rooms, no tilt receivers, and Line of Sight (LOS) link. In this paper we will address the problem of enabling Visible Light Communications (VLC) based Indoor Positioning System (IPS) in underground mines. Feasible link configurations and positioning topologies are studied throughout this paper. In addition to this, different localization methods are classified in two groups, i.e., range based and range free methods. Their performance in terms of accuracy and robustness as well as the constraints of each method will be analyzed for its usage in underground mines.