Evaluation of a ToF camera for remote surveying of underground cavities excavated by jet boring

• We evaluate the performance of a ToF camera in a test cavity environment.
• We compare data from a ToF camera to data from a laser scanning system.
• We find that the ToF camera has a high frame rate useful for operator visualization.
• We examine the potential for using segmentation and registration in data analysis.
• We collect and make observations with field data from two mine sites.

Cigar Lake is a high-grade uranium deposit, located in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. In order to extract the uranium ore remotely, thus ensuring minimal radiation dose to workers and also to access the ore from stable ground, the Jet Boring System (JBS) was developed by Cameco Corporation. This system uses a high-powered water jet to remotely excavate cavities. Survey data is required to determine the final shape, volume, and location of the cavity for mine planning purposes and construction. This paper provides an overview of the challenges involved in remotely surveying a JBS-mined cavity and studies the potential use of a time-of-flight (ToF) camera for remote cavity surveying. It reports on data collected and analyzed from inside an experimental environment as well as on real data acquired on site from the Cigar Lake and Rabbit Lake mines.