In this paper we describe the development of a three-dimensional (3D) imaging system for a 3500 tonne mining machine (dragline). Draglines are large walking cranes used for removing the dirt that covers a coal seam. Our group has been developing a dragline swing automation system since 1994. The system so far has been “blind” to its external environment. The work presented in this paper attempt...

Various spider species produce dragline silks with different mechanical properties. The primary structure of silk proteins is thought to contribute to the elasticity and strength of the fibres. Previously published work has demonstrated that the dragline silk of Euprosthenops sp. is stiffer then comparable silk of Nephila edulis, Araneus diadematus and Latrodectus mactans. Our studies of Eupros...

Spider dragline silk has enormous potential for the development of biomimetic fibers that combine strength and elasticity in low density polymers. These applications necessitate understanding how silk reacts to different environmental conditions. For instance, spider dragline silk ;supercontracts' in high humidity. During supercontraction, unrestrained dragline silk contracts up to 50% of its o...

This study, in a broad sense, fills in the missing parts in previous efforts at pullback stripping mode design with a dipping coal seam. Three different spoiling procedures have been developed: the normal mode, where the coal seam is flat/nearly flat; the uphill mode, where the coal seam is dipping and the dragline spoils uphill; and the downhill mode, where the coal seam is again dipping but t...

Recent studies have demonstrated that orb-weaving spiders may alter web structures, foraging localities or silk output in response to prey variations. In this study we conducted field surveys and food manipulations to examine whether orb-weaving spiders may also adjust the protein of silk to prey variations. A comparison of dragline silks collected from nine giant wood spider Nephila pilipes po...

The outstanding properties of spider dragline silk are likely to be determined by a combination of the primary sequences and the secondary structure of the silk proteins. Antheraea pernyi silk has more similar sequences to spider dragline silk than the silk from its domestic counterpart, Bombyx mori. This makes it much potential as a resource for biospinning spider dragline silk. This paper fur...

Spider dragline silk is a natural fiber that has excellent tensile properties; however, it is difficult to produce artificially as a long, strong fiber. Here, the spider (Araneus ventricosus) dragline protein gene was cloned and a transgenic silkworm was generated, that expressed the fusion protein of the fibroin heavy chain and spider dragline protein in cocoon silk. The spider silk protein co...

This paper details the implementation and trialling of a prototype in-bucket bulk density monitor on a production dragline. Bulk density information can provide feedback to mine planning and scheduling to improve blasting and consequently facilitating optimal bucket sizing. The bulk density measurement builds upon outcomes presented in the AMTC2009 paper titled ‘Automatic In-Bucket Volume Estim...

The outstanding material properties of spider dragline silk fibers have been attributed to two spidroins, major ampullate spidroins 1 and 2 (MaSp1 and MaSp2). Although dragline silk fibers have been treated with different chemical solvents to elucidate the relationship between protein structure and fiber mechanics, there has not been a comprehensive proteomic analysis of the major ampullate (MA...