Particulate Matter Detection in Mines Using 3D Light Detection and Ranging Technology

This paper proposes a novel portable prototype and self-contained Air Quality (AQ) monitoring device that utilizes Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to take its measurements. The novel device aims to improve mining safety by collecting and analyzing the AQ inside mines and displaying the real-time conditions to personnel. The intent is to create a 3D map of the environment and display potentially hazardous Atmospheric Particulate Matter (APM). To achieve this goal, we prototype a portable, compact, and easy-to-operate system that utilizes LiDAR to detect APM. Then, we propose how the collected data can be used to calculate real-time AQ conditions. Finally, we illustrate selected results to show the importance and feasibility of our novel prototype.