Automated
Mining Project
Designed for use with the LEGO MINDSTORMS® Education NXT Software and Base Set #9797
© 2006 Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy
Opening Activity
What tools do miners use, and how could
automation of those tools help them?
Designed for use with the LEGO MINDSTORMS® Education NXT Software and Base Set #9797
© 2006 Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy
Opening Activity
What tools do miners use, and how
could automation of those tools help them?
Designed for use with the LEGO MINDSTORMS® Education NXT Software and Base Set #9797
© 2006 Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy
Underground Mining
• Cost-efficiency is vital to the
economic survival of the
mining industry
• Mining is made efficient
through the use of heavy
machinery, run by human
operators standing nearby
Joy Mining Continuous Miner
Rotating drill head automatically delivers coal
to conveyer belt system as it is extracted
Designed for use with the LEGO MINDSTORMS® Education NXT Software and Base Set #9797
© 2006 Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy
Underground Mining
• The machinery can be
dangerous if miners are not
extremely careful
• The mine itself is dangerous
– Cave-ins
– Flooding
– Disorientation
Designed for use with the LEGO MINDSTORMS® Education NXT Software and Base Set #9797
© 2006 Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy
Automated Mining
• Automation can help to keep
miners away from the most
dangerous areas
Continuous Header System
This automated system designed by the
NREC allows operators to stay back
from dangerous areas.
Designed for use with the LEGO MINDSTORMS® Education NXT Software and Base Set #9797
© 2006 Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy
Automated Mining:
Programming Review
Data Hubs & Wires
Compare Block
Switch Block
Display Block
Designed for use with the LEGO MINDSTORMS® Education NXT Software and Base Set #9797
© 2006 Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy
Data Hubs & Wires
Many blocks have data hubs which can
be opened by clicking the notch in the
lower-left corner of the block.
A data hub contains many data plugs,
which allow information to flow in and out
of the block.
Data wires control the flow of data
between blocks.
Output plugs typically send out a sensor
value, or the result of a computation.
Such information usually goes into
another block’s input plug, allowing the
reading or result to be used as a value
inside the block.
Speed Controlled by Sensor
Ultrasonic Sensor distance output plug controls
the value of the Move Block’s power setting
Designed for use with the LEGO MINDSTORMS® Education NXT Software and Base Set #9797
© 2006 Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy
Compare Block
Performs a greater-than,
less-than, or equal-to
comparison of two values.
Values A and B are
compared using the
selected comparison
operator.
Result is the outcome of the
comparison, represented as
a Logic value.
Which is Brighter?
With two different Light Sensors wired in to become
the A and B values, this Compare Block will give a result
of True if the one on Port 1 is brighter, and False if the
sensor on Port 2 is brighter (or they’re equal)
Example:
A = 10
B = 20
Operation = “Less than”
Result = (True)
Designed for use with the LEGO MINDSTORMS® Education NXT Software and Base Set #9797
© 2006 Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy
Switch Block: Logic Value
Switch blocks allow the program to
observe a value, and choose between
different paths of code to follow, based
on the observed value.
Value Switch Blocks expose a data input
plug, which must be wired to an
appropriate source in the program. The
input from this plug will be used to
decide which group of blocks to run.
Logic Value Switch Blocks use a Logic
value to decide which blocks to run. A
True value will run the top branch, while
a False value will run the bottom branch.
Designed for use with the LEGO MINDSTORMS® Education NXT Software and Base Set #9797
Sight or Sound
Based on the value of the Logic value coming
through the green wire, this Switch will
either play a sound (if the value is True),
or show a picture (if the value is False)
© 2006 Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy
Display Block: Number
The Display Block displays
images or text on the NXT’s
LCD display.
The Display Block does not
have built-in support for
displaying Numbers. In order to
display a Number, you must
first convert it to Text using the
Number to Text Block.
The Display Block must also be
configured to display Text, or it
will ignore the wired-in value.
Display Ultrasonic Sensor Value
Ultrasonic Sensor reading is converted to Text
then displayed on the NXT’s LCD screen
Designed for use with the LEGO MINDSTORMS® Education NXT Software and Base Set #9797
© 2006 Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy
Summary
• The mining industry is highly dependent on
powerful but potentially hazardous
equipment to work efficiently
• Automating these systems could allow
human operators to stay farther away from
dangerous areas
• Data hubs and wires allow important information
to flow between different blocks in a program
• The Compare block lets you compare two values
• The Logic Value Switch Block lets you choose
which code to run based on a Logic value
• Numbers can be displayed on the NXT’s LCD
display, but must be converted using the Number
to Text Block first
Designed for use with the LEGO MINDSTORMS® Education NXT Software and Base Set #9797
© 2006 Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy