Optimizing situational awareness for operators of underground mining heavy equipment

采矿业继续报告重型设备的高死亡率，这些事件经常与能见度问题有关。提高重型设备操作员的能见度和危险检测仍然是采矿业以及其他几个具有类似能见度担忧的行业的关键目标。从闭路电视屏幕到视听危险指示器和RFID标签系统等复杂程度不同的接近检测系统已被用于各种重型设备。许多轻型乘用车现在都配备了后备视频监视器，以在倒车过程中帮助操作员。这些系统的主要目标是提高操作员的态势感知，并为操作员改进机器周围的障碍物检测。如果实施得当，接近探测系统有可能提高采矿机械操作员的态势感知能力。到目前为止，采矿业还没有采用接近探测的标准，尽管几家制造商正在销售这一目标的系统。这些系统的适当人体工程学设计对于减少与能见度相关的事故至关重要，而不会增加分心驾驶的额外危险。目前还没有足够的研究来自信地向采矿业推荐任何一种系统。拟议的研究计划将确定改善采矿业重型设备操作员危险检测的最佳方法。在这项研究计划达到顶峰时，研究人员将能够向业界通报在操作员工作空间实施信息系统的最佳实践，这种方法可以提高障碍检测能力，而不会增加体力或认知工作量。这项工作有可能提高地下重型设备操作员以及采矿环境中的行人的安全。

The mining industry continues to report high levels of fatalities on heavy equipment, and these incidents have frequently been linked to visibility issues. Enhancing visibility and hazard detection for the operators of heavy equipment remains a critical goal in mining, and several other industries with similar visibility concerns. Proximity detection systems that range in complexity from closed-circuit television screens to audio-visual hazard indicators and RFID tagged systems have been used on a variety of heavy equipment. Many light passenger vehicles now come equipped with back-up video monitors to aid the operator during revering procedures. The main goal of these systems is to improve the situational awareness of the operator and improve obstacle detection around the machine for the operator. Proximity detection systems have the potential to improve situational awareness for operators of mining machinery if implemented correctly. To date, the mining industry has not yet adopted a standard for proximity detection although several manufacturers are marketing systems with this aim. The proper ergonomic design for these systems is critical for reducing visibility-related incidents, without adding an additional hazard of distracted driving into the situation. There is currently insufficient research to confidently recommend any system to the mining industry. The proposed research program will determine the optimal method for improving hazard detection for the operators of heavy equipment in the mining industry. At the culmination of this research program, the researcher will be able to inform the industry on best practice for implementation of informational systems into the operator's work space in a way that improves obstacle detection capability and does not increase physical or cognitive workload. This work has the potential to improve safety for operators of underground heavy equipment, as well as for pedestrians in the mining atmosphere.