# Applications of the Open-Source Hardware Arduino Platform in the Mining Industry: A Review
## 4 Arduino in Autonomous Mine Systems
A pressure sensor was connected to the Arduino UNO board, so that the bucket control module could sense the forces in the boom actuation to control the velocity of the bucket actuator. An indoor test using a miniature LHD was performed with the bucket control module. The localization and tracking of moving objects are also critical issues in the development of unmanned robots for underground mines. Traditional techniques based on GPS and other location sensors have been widely utilized in surface mines for simultaneous localization and mapping. However, a different approach is necessary in an underground environment, as GPS does not work in such locations. [PERSON] and [PERSON] [69] developed a lab-scale automated haul truck that could be autonomously controlled and navigated along an underground tunnel. LiDAR sensors were integrated with an Arduino Mega to estimate the autonomous truck position, using a navigation algorithm based on a triangulation method. The simulation results showed the effectiveness of the developed navigation and control algorithms; however, the study should be extended to consider real-size mine haul trucks. [PERSON] et al. [74] proposed a prototype for an underground localization system for an unmanned robot using an Arduino Mega board with IR sensors (FC51) for obstacle detection, a gas sensor (MQ2) for detecting the presence of harmful gases, and a temperature sensor (LM35) for gauging the temperature. A ZigBee module (Xbee) was used to transmit data from the system to a base station (desktop PC). The localization of the robot was conducted by only considering the moving direction (north, south, east, and west), as controlled by a motor driver. An indoor experiment showed that the system could track the robot with reasonable precision. However, it was too simple to be used in real underground mines, as only four types of moving directions were used for localization. Additional sensors and mapping techniques are required to improve the system. The Arduino has also been used to develop a small UAV for monitoring dust particles after blasting at open-pit mines [75]. Two dust sensors, GP2Y10 (SHARP) and DSM501A (Samyoung), a temperature and humidity sensor (SEN51035P), GPS logger (GP635T), and ZigBee module (Xbee) were connected to an Arduino Mega board to develop a low-weight and size-constrained dust sensingsystem for mounting on a small UAV. Figure 10 shows the system architecture for the modular dust sensor in detail. All data collected from the dust sensors were transmitted and logged on a ground station in real time. The Arduino-based dust sensing system was mounted on a multirotor UAV, and a field test was conducted using latcum powder (composed of 0.2.0.3 mass fraction with a particle diameter no greater than 10 \(\upmu\)m) lifted into the atmosphere (Figure 11). In combination with a UAV, Arduino can also be used to detect areas polluted by mining activities. For example, in Cornwall, England, mining of uranium has resulted in a significant amount of radioactive contamination in the surrounding area. To effectively detect polluted areas, [PERSON] et al. [76] combined a UAV with gamma radiation mapping technology. To construct an unmanned radiation detection system, a gamma-ray spectrometer was used with a GPS module to measure the spectrum of incident radiation energy. The height of the device was also recorded using a laser rangefinder system (AR2500, Acuity), and these data streams were combined using an Arduino  
Figure 11: Flight path and PM10 concentrations monitored with the dust sensing system mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) quadcopter [75]. (**a**) Top view; (**b**) side view. Figure 10: System architecture for the modular dust sensor [75]. Mega. The data were stored locally on the instrument itself and concurrently transmitted to a remote base station. A cavity monitoring system (CMS) has been utilized in underground mines to collect information regarding mine stopes, openings, ore passes, and any other cavity with limited accessibility [80].