Wireless Platform for the Fatigue Measurement of Workers Employed in Underground Mines

Human fatigue (tiredness) – identified as one of the major causes of injuries/accidents taking place in mines – can be easily determined and parameterized by examination of human pulse and haemoglobin oxidation level (SpO2). Two sensors, enabling continuous registration of the factors mentioned above, combined with a ZigBee radio module, have been integrated into a biosensor in the present study. The novelty of the solution is based on a small, pill-sized (and shaped) biosensor form conveniently attachable to a miner’s body for a constant reporting of his weariness level during regular work. Moreover, the biosensor is able to communicate with WLAN concentrators that, in turn, serve to convey each miner’s health readings, via multiple hops, to the monitoring centre for analysing incoming results on-the-fly. Individual miner’s fatigue control is expected to yield less accidents/injuries, which – beside the human aspect – will also considerably save costs of compensation paid to the injured miner/family and preserve the work continuity. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.eie.23.4.18718