Title: From LiDAR to Underground Maps via 5G - Business Models Enabling a System-of-Systems Approach to Mapping the Kankberg Mine,
Abstract: With ever-increasing productivity targets in mining operations, there is a
growing interest in mining automation. The PIMM project addresses the
fundamental challenge of network communication by constructing a pilot 5G
network in the underground mine Kankberg. In this report, we discuss how such a
5G network could constitute the essential infrastructure to organize existing
systems in Kankberg into a system-of-systems (SoS). In this report, we analyze
a scenario in which LiDAR equipped vehicles operating in the mine are connected
to existing mine mapping and positioning solutions. The approach is motivated
by the approaching era of remote controlled, or even autonomous, vehicles in
mining operations. The proposed SoS could ensure continuously updated maps of
Kankberg, rendered in unprecedented detail, supporting both productivity and
safety in the underground mine. We present four different SoS solutions from an
organizational point of view, discussing how development and operations of the
constituent systems could be distributed among Boliden and external
stakeholders, e.g., the vehicle suppliers, the hauling company, and the
developers of the mapping software. The four scenarios are compared from both
technical and business perspectives, and based on trade-off discussions and
SWOT analyses. We conclude our report by recommending continued research along
two future paths, namely a closer cooperation with the vehicle suppliers, and
further feasibility studies regarding establishing a Kankberg software
ecosystem.