Application of virtual reality technology to mine management

Coal mines are dynamic systems that change continually in size, shape, and condition. Large quantities of data about production, coal quality, ground stability , ventilation monitoring, equipment performance and location, vehicle and personnel movements and geology, are generated from all parts of the mine. Internet technology and virtual reality technology are now being combined to provide an intuitive, multi-dimensional infonnation system which can simultaneously display any infonnation that can be collected and stored by a computer. Physical information is directly displayed as 3-dimensional objects in the mine model. Numerical and text infonnation is dynamically linked to these objects and accessed by "clicking" on them All of the data can be integrated in real time into one information system with a 3-D graphical interface and user friendly controls. This interface will facilitate easy access to and integration of everything from real-time gas monitoring data and vehicle location to exploration drill cores, all within one application. Operators will use one simple intuitive interface which will manage information from the myriad of computer packages with different data structures, interfaces, languages and operating systems.