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The new MineComms Mapper™ system knows where it is in the mine, and what RF signals it is "hearing". It shows you exactly where you have wireless coverage, and where you don't.
- It's the fast, reliable, undisruptive way to verify mine-wide communication coverage weekly, helping you meet MINER Act requirements.
- The system overlays continuously tracked location data with continuously swept RF data, so you get a rich set of data.
- You can find and fix weak spots, detect changes over time, and do preventive maintenance.
- Increase safety, avoid downtime, avoid citations and reduce your insurance costs.
How Does It Work?
The system includes:
- A 2-wheeled trailer that can be towed by a mine vehicle. It converts quickly to a 3-wheeled cart that can be pulled by hand.
- A patented location-tracking package: inertial navigation unit, rotary wheel encoders, and software. The cart knows where it is, where it has been, and which way it's heading.
- A signal processing package, with spectrum analyzer and software, tuned for Wi-Fi, leaky feeder, and other wireless mine systems.
- A tablet computer with software to help you:
- Manage mine sites, maps, RF setups, and site surveys.
- Process all the collected coverage data and store it in a Derby embedded database.
- Sync data with an enterprise-class SQL database on a corporate server.
- Build mapping and verification time into routine mine travel.
- Generate accurate coverage maps even over large-scale mining operations.
What's the Story Behind SkyMark and the MineComms Mapper?
SkyMark is a technology company based in Pittsburgh. Since its founding in 1992, the company has developed software for process improvement, data analysis, field equipment inspections and construction drawing management.
Helium Networks was another Pittsburgh-based company, a spinout from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), licensed to use 5 patents relating to dead reckoning and wireless network engineering.
Helium's technologies are ideal for mapping Wi-Fi coverage where GPS isn't available. The Helium Wireless Recon™ system has been a survey technology leader indoors - in factories, warehouses, hospitals and office buildings. SkyMark saw the potential for using a system like Helium's underground, and worked with Helium to make it a reality.
Now, We're Underground!
We have developed a system that is:
- robust enough to stand up to mine terrain, but small and light enough to fit through a man-door,
- can accurately track its position by dead reckoning over long distances and rough ground.
- be pulled by hand or towed by a mine vehicle.
The MineComms Mapper™ system is not approved for use in permissible areas. We have a design for an XP model that is promising, but it's still in early stage development. The current system can be used in non-permissible areas, and, with the appropriate gas checks, in permissible areas.
Get the Advantage of MineComms Mapper™ Now.
The sooner you get an in-depth look at your coverage , the faster you will be able to improve your network, and verify your coverage.
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The MineComms Mapper™ is being towed by a mine jeep. The hand-tow bar is in its rest. The passenger is holding the tablet computer.
The MineComms Mapper™ software helps you set up and carry out surveys of your network.
As you traverse the mine, signal readings are processed and color coded by thresholds that you can set. It's easy to see coverage weak spots, gaps or outages.
Joe Sabo wheels the MineComms Mapper™ cart into the main portal at the Bruceton Safety Research Mine. The tablet computer is mounted on the pull-bar.
Call us today to set up a survey, or to get pricing on a MineComms Mapper™ system.
+1.800.826.7284, from USA or Canada, or +1.412.371.0680 from anywhere else. 8:30AM to 6:00PM Eastern Time.
*US Patents 6,505,045; 6,581,000; 6,636,737; 6,680,924; 6,711,148
Partnering with SkyMark
We're establishing partnerships with mining companies, engineering firms, mine service providers and manufacturers of mine communications systems. If you are interested in this exciting new technology, we'd like to hear from you.
Call SkyMark: (800) 826-7284.
Or email us: minecommsmapper@skymark.com
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Recent News
January 22, 2010
SkyMark's MineComms Mapper™ system rolled in to action at Consol Energy's Enlow Fork Mine in West Finley, PA last week.
SkyMark was providing support to L3 Communications, as it was verifying the accuracy of its new TRU-TRACKER Precision Location System. The TRU-TRACKER system uses "reverse" radio frequency identification (RFID) to determine the real-time location of miners underground.
L3 needed accurate, independent location data to verify the estimated miner location data provided by their system. Tom Eldridge, Project Manager for L3, calls it "ground-truth." To get that ground-truth, he called SkyMark, and arranged for our engineers to bring a MineComms Mapper™ cart down to Enlow Fork for the survey.
SkyMark used the MineComms Mapper™ to survey over 5,000 ft. of entries where TRU-TRACKER tags had been placed, collecting 2,285 data samples. These data samples were then provided to L3 to compare with the data collected by their TRU-TRACKER system. The results of the verification study will be published in L3's final report to NIOSH.
The Enlow Fork Mine is one of the largest underground coal mines in the US, providing a large-scale environment to test the capabilities of the MineComms Mapper™. Laird Cooper, Product Engineer for SkyMark, said, "We were really happy with the location accuracy we were getting with the cart. We got precise scaling measurements from Paul Kelly, the Mine Engineer, calibrated the cart, and then just pulled it along, and it was right on target at each crosscut."
For futher information, please contact: Steve David, SkyMark Corporation. 412-371-0680.
Watch the MineComms Mapper™ in action!
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Good thinking. Good execution. Good results.
