Application of 3D Scanning, Computer Simulations and Virtual Reality in the Redesigning Process of Selected Areas of Underground Transportation Routes in Coal Mining Industry

Nowadays designing of selected areas of mines underground workings can be effectively improved by the application of computer techniques: 3D scanning, computer simulations and Virtual Reality. This, in fact, would result in the more reliable design process, significantly reduced designing costs and efforts, and improvement of the mines staff’s safety. This scientific paper presents a method developed for redesigning of selected areas of mines underground workings in which auxiliary transport is carried out. The method combines 3D laser scanning technique with computer simulations carried out in a CAD/MBS system, in order to determine the location of potential collisions of the transported loads with the arch yielding support and the equipment. The obtained results, visualized using Virtual Reality, will form input data in the process of designing the selected area of the mines underground workings. Finally, an example of the application of the described method during transportation of big-size load is given.