Automatic blasthole positioning for face drilling rigs in underground mines: a LiDAR-SLAM-based blasthole pattern plan fitting approach

Manual surveying for blasthole marking in underground mining is inefficient and hazardous for face drilling rigs. A LiDAR-based 3D mapping method reconstructs drift maps, with beacon centroids dynamically maintaining drift centerlines during blasting. By segmenting the heading face and integrating a predefined template, the system auto-generates 3D blasthole coordinates. A positioning algorithm fuses boom kinematics with LiDAR-SLAM localisation to align the boom within a unified mine frame. Experimental results show that the method attains high-precision positioning with an error below 10 cm. This significantly enhances drilling efficiency, reduces labour risks, and contributes to the automated and intelligent development of mining.