Classification system and key technology of coal mine robot

China’s coal mining is gradually moving toward intelligence from mechanization and automation. Coal mine intelligence is a systematic project involving coal resources exploration,mine construction,coal mining,safety protec- tion,coal washing and distribution,etc. . The four stages of intelligent coal mining development are automation,infor- matization,interconnection and intelligence. However,the R&D and application of coal mine robot is the most impor- tant way to realize intelligent and unmanned coal mine. The current research status of coal mine robot in China was re- viewed in this paper. Firstly,the concept and definition of coal mine robot were scientifically expounded. The develop- ment process and development trend of the coal mine robot were analyzed. Also,the classification method of coal mine robot was studied. Therefore,a scientific and rational classification system for coal mine robot was constructed for dif- ferent object-oriented,work areas and functional attributes of coal mine robot. Furthermore,the coal mine robot was divided into five categories with different functions:excavation,coal mining,transportation,safety control and rescue. Combining the current state of the technologies in robotics and artificial intelligence,the research approach of different robots with different stages was discussed. Finally,the urgent technologies in the development of coal mine robot were proposed,including explosion-proof safety design theory and method of coal mine robot,robot power technology with long-term battery life and high energy density,the robotic precise positioning and navigation technology under the min- ing environment,high-reliability anti-jamming communication technology of coal mine robot,robot intelligent sensing and environment accurate identification technology in complex coal mine environment,coordinated control decision mechanism of underground robot group,the reliability test evaluation method,and the modular design method of coal mine robot.