A strong impetus for this subject is the broad level of agreement across the resources sector that robotics (and associated knowledge and skills will be of increasing importance in the future, as industry seeks to improve is safety and productivity. As a result, industry is looking for higher level of skills sets in these areas.
One particular area in which robotics is becoming increasingly beneficial is through accurate mine mapping which is a critical issue in mine safety. History has shown that inaccurate records can create dangerous situations that put personnel at risk. Being able to build a robot that has the programming capacity to map underground mines and potentially find personnel creates a safer work environment.
Carnegie Mellon University in the United States of America has developed a “Mine Mapping Robotics’ curriculum unit aimed at junior secondary students (Grade 9) which sees students program a robot to be able to map underground mine sites.
There are currently six QMEA schools involved in the Mine Mapping Robotics project. These are:
- Toolooa State High School
- Nanango State High School
- Moranbah State High School
- Biloela State High School
- Bundamba State Secondary College
- Alexandra Hills State High School
The QMEA will continue to roll out this and other robotics based curriculum programs to these and other schools through science and information technology.
Link to Robotics Blog
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