Australian Droid + Robot (ADR) has introduced a new Docking Station designed to extend the autonomy of its Explora XL robot, enabling underground mines to capture data without halting production or sending workers into hazardous environments.
The company says the ruggedised Docking Station allows robots to remain permanently underground, providing automated charging, integrated sensor cleaning, and secure data transfer.
In a statement, the company says: “For decades, essential underground tasks like surveying, inspection and gas sensing have required costly production shutdowns and exposed personnel to hazardous environments.
“These necessary pauses in production can cost a typical mine over A$250,000 ($164,277) per week. The ADR System, now complete with the Docking Station, directly solves this long-standing challenge by automating these processes on-demand.”
Joe Cronin, co-founder and CEO of Australian Droid + Robot, says: “This isn’t just a piece of hardware; it’s the key to unlocking the full potential of data driven mining efficiency and safety.
“The Docking Station makes our Explora robot a truly persistent asset that lives underground. It delivers a future where critical data collection and production are no longer in conflict. This means more production time for operators and, most importantly, fewer people having to enter potentially hazardous areas.”
The Docking Station provides three core functions:
- Automated charging to keep the robot mission-ready at all times.
- Sensor cleaning, using a pneumatic system to remove dust and debris from LiDAR and camera systems for accurate data collection.
- Secure data transfer, automatically uploading mission data to the mine’s network for integration with existing planning software.
ADR says the system also enhances the capabilities of third-party payloads such as the Emesent Hovermap LiDAR scanner, ensuring the robot is always ready to capture high-precision 3D maps for surveying, geological inspection, and convergence monitoring.
According to the company, more frequent and reliable data will allow mines to make operational decisions with less uncertainty, helping to improve safety and sustainability as resources become more complex to extract.
