Could a wireless radio network save a miners life?
There are few situations more terrifying than being trapped underground with no visible means of escape. Miners risk being caught in this situation every day they go to work. In the United States, the Mine Safety and Health Administration establishes guidelines and safety measures that help minimize the chance of a disaster. But sometimes that’s not enough. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the fatality rate for miners in 2007 was 24.8 per 100,000 people employed. Only the collective industries of agriculture, fishing, forestry and hunting had a higher fatality rate. Not every fatality was the result of a collapsed mine. An equipment failure or poor safety habits can also end in tragedy. Miners may encounter dangerous gases like methane as they move underground, too. One of the biggest challenges in mine safety is communication. It’s difficult to create a network that works well underground. Most radio waves can’t
