Teleremote & Remote Operations

Operators increasingly run machines from control rooms kilometres away. Learn teleremote vs semi-autonomous operation, remote operations centres (ROC), network latency and bandwidth, video requirements, safety systems and the human factors of remote work.

Teleremote LHDs muck stopes that are too dangerous to enter, drills run through shift changes, and entire mines are monitored from city-based ROCs. This removes people from hazards and lets one operator supervise several machines.

An analogy

Teleremote operation is like playing a racing video game with a real, 50-tonne machine — the controls and screens must respond instantly or you crash.

Levels of remote operation

Line-of-sight remote control (operator nearby with a belly box) → teleremote (operator in a control room using cameras) → semi-autonomous (machine drives itself between load and dump; operator only loads the bucket) → fully autonomous.

Networks

Underground Wi-Fi, LTE and private 5G provide low latency (< 100 ms) and high bandwidth for multiple HD video streams. Fibre backbones link levels to surface. Network outages must trigger safe stops.

Safety systems

Autonomous zones are isolated with access-control barriers and laser curtains; entry by a person stops machines. Emergency-stop links, collision detection and geofencing are safety-rated functions.

Human factors

Remote operators lose feel (vibration, sound); displays add overlays (bucket fill, payload). Fatigue, workload when supervising many machines, and situational awareness are design priorities.

Formulas

• Blind distance: d = (v/3.6) × (τ + t_reaction)
• Bandwidth: B = Σ camera bitrates + telemetry + margin

Worked example: Blind distance

Given: Machine 15 km/h, latency 300 ms

Find: Distance during latency.

• d = 15/3.6 × 0.3 = 1.25 m

Answer: 1.25 m before the command reaches the machine

Worked example: Bandwidth

Given: 4 HD cameras × 5 Mbps + telemetry 1 Mbps; 50 % margin

Find: Required bandwidth.

• B = (20 + 1) × 1.5 = 31.5 Mbps

Answer: ≈ 32 Mbps per machine

Common mistakes

• Wrong: Ignoring network dead spots. — Right: Survey coverage; design safe-stop behaviour.
• Wrong: Overloading one operator with too many machines. — Right: Design workload and alarms carefully.

Applications

• Stope mucking: Teleremote LHDs in open stopes.
• Shift-change blasting and drilling: Machines work while people are out.
• Remote operations centres: Multi-site control from cities.

Key takeaways

• Remote → teleremote → semi-auto → autonomous.
• d = v × (latency + reaction).
• Size bandwidth for video streams.
• Safety systems independent of the network.

Going further

• Private 5G: Low-latency networks for remote operation.
• Haptic feedback: Restoring 'feel' for remote operators.
• Functional safety: Safety PLCs for autonomous zones.