Low-Cost LoRaWAN-Based Smart Helmet System for Underground Mining Safety in Peru
| International Journal of Electrical and Electronics Engineering |
| © 2025 by SSRG - IJEEE Journal |
| Volume 12 Issue 7 |
| Year of Publication : 2025 |
| Authors : Ronald Jesus Lima Mataqque, Edgar André Gamboa Beltrán, Samuel Puma Mamani, German Alberto Echaiz Espinoza |
10.14445/23488379/IJEEE-V12I7P122
How to Cite?
Ronald Jesus Lima Mataqque, Edgar André Gamboa Beltrán, Samuel Puma Mamani, German Alberto Echaiz Espinoza, "Low-Cost LoRaWAN-Based Smart Helmet System for Underground Mining Safety in Peru," SSRG International Journal of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, vol. 12, no. 7, pp. 301-311, 2025. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488379/IJEEE-V12I7P122
Abstract:
Safety in underground mining remains a challenge due to the limited coverage of current monitoring technologies. This study addresses the following research question: Can a portable, low-power, multisensor system based on LoRaWAN improve the detection of critical events in real underground mining environments? The hypothesis proposed is that such a system is capable of detecting falls, verifying helmet usage, and transmitting alerts with acceptable latency, even under adverse conditions. The main objective was to design and implement a smart modular system adaptable to standardized helmets, integrating inertial, barometric, and infrared sensors, and using LoRaWAN to transmit events to a remote base. Field tests were conducted in a real mining site located in Caylloma, Arequipa, Peru, where performance was evaluated through simulated real-life events. The proposed system achieved an event detection accuracy of 88%, with an effective range of up to 200 meters and an operational autonomy of 10 hours. The results suggest that this system could represent a viable alternative to enhance safety in mining environments, improving emergency response and offering a practical, low-cost, and easily integrable solution in the workplace.
Keywords:
Fall detection, LoRaWAN, Smart helmet, Wearable sensors.
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