Mining robotization: Past, present and future

Some preconditions of robotization in mining are analyzed. Mining robotics has a lot of differences from factory robotics, because it must work in unpredictable mine environment. Mine robotization moves through the following stages: robotization of the simplest objects (1967-80), world discussion about the great potentiality for robotics in mining (1980-85), mine robotization is not simple problem (1985-90), mine robotics as a basis for intelligent mine (1990-present). There are three shapes of mine robotization: remotely- controlled manipulators, multifunctional robots for robotics-based mining, mine rescue robots. Both direct and indirect sources of robotics influence on mining are enumerated.