As intelligent equipment becomes ubiquitous, high-risk coal mines are still inseparable from manual downhole operations. This phenomenon has aroused doubts among many netizens.
Are advanced machines really no match for manpower?
In fact, robots have not been used in high-risk operations in coal mines for a long time. The truth is far more complicated than imagined.
Nowadays, artificial intelligence and intelligent machinery are developing at a rapid pace. All walks of life are promoting automated production, and many dangerous positions have already been taken over by machines.
However, the deep underground coal mining industry has never been able to use mining robots on a large scale.
With the current level of domestic science and technology, there are no technical barriers to manufacturing professional mining robots. Various types of industrial intelligent machinery have long been mature, and special working robots for coal mines can naturally be easily built.
It is not technical difficulties that hinder the full implementation of the machine.
The first major obstacle is the high overall input cost.
A fully functional mining robot suitable for underground operations requires very high initial R&D and production costs.
Compared with the salary of ordinary miners who work all year round, the cost of purchasing machines is several times higher.
Moreover, this type of large-scale intelligent equipment is not a one-time solution. The dust under the mine is thick and the environment is harsh, and the parts are easily worn out and damaged.
Subsequent regular inspections, replacement of accessories, and daily maintenance each require a large amount of continuous investment.
In the long run, the cost of using robots for enterprises far exceeds the cost of hiring labor. From an economic point of view, the gains outweigh the losses.
Secondly, the complex and changeable underground operating environment is a shortcoming that is difficult for intelligent robots to overcome.
Most coal mines are tens of meters deep underground, with internal tunnels crisscrossing each other, dim light and obstructed vision, uneven ground conditions, and sudden geological conditions from time to time.
Mining work requires precise control of mining intensity and scope. Faced with irregular underground scenes that change at any time, robots running on fixed programs are seriously insufficient in flexibility and cannot flexibly respond to various emergencies. The accuracy of operations is also difficult to meet standards, and is far less reliable than experienced miners’ on-the-spot judgment.
In addition, employment issues related to thousands of ordinary families are practical factors that cannot be ignored.
The coal industry has attracted a large number of grassroots workers, most of whom are ordinary people with low educational levels and rely on manual labor to make a living.
If robots are fully implemented to replace labor, a large number of underground miners will lose their jobs instantly.
Middle-aged people who are already struggling to make a living will find it difficult to find a suitable livelihood once they lose their jobs. The employment placement and living security of a large number of migrant workers will become difficult social problems. This is also an important reason why related industries dare not rush to completely replace their manpower.
By combining various practical factors, we can understand that it is not that the industry is unwilling to achieve intelligence and reduce manual risks, but that multiple issues such as cost, environment, and people’s livelihood are intertwined, making it impossible for mining robots to completely replace manual positions for the time being.
The original intention of scientific and technological progress is to avoid dangers and improve life for mankind, rather than to ruthlessly replace ordinary people’s way of making a living.
High-risk mine operations are always accompanied by unknown risks, and front-line miners use their bodies to shoulder the burden of their families, which makes people sincerely admire them.
I believe that in the future, as technology continues to make breakthroughs and costs continue to decrease, a new model that can not only ensure workers’ employment, but also rely on intelligent machinery to share high-risk tasks will eventually be realized.
I also hope that all practitioners working underground can come in and out safely and live a stable life.
