Rajant Kinetic Mesh® for Tunneling:
Extended Network Range and Built-In Redundancy for Ultra-Reliable Wireless Underground Tunnel Communications
Recent advances in tunneling technologies have allowed for the construction of newer underground facilities. With more complex tunneling comes a myriad of challenges—like space constraints, difficult ground conditions, and unmovable underground structures—not to mention that work must operate in an environment where it’s difficult to deploy reliable network systems.
With a solution like Rajant’s private wireless network, tunneling operators can overcome the vast networking challenges inherent in enabling communications and productivity inside tunnel construction sites and other underground operations.
Kinetic Mesh comprises compact, lightweight BreadCrumb® nodes that can be flexibly deployed throughout the tunnel, on both fixed infrastructure and moving equipment, to form a robust mesh network underground. BreadCrumbs maintain multiple simultaneous connections between peers for inherent redundancy and can simultaneously send and receive information on different frequencies. Paired with Rajant’s RCP-2450 dual-frequency bi-directional antenna system to extend range, they form a complete, tunnel-wide wireless network for mission-critical data and video and voice communications.
Extend Mission-Critical Connectivity up to 1Km Underground
In tunnel deployments, Rajant provides a robust alternative to fiber and traditional single radio wireless systems using our multi-radio, multi-frequency BreadCrumb nodes combined with Rajant’s wide-band, bi-directional, circular polarized antennas powered by Poynting. BreadCrumbs use Rajant’s patented InstaMesh® networking software to direct traffic over the fastest path(s) among the meshed connections they hold. Issues caused by interference, congestion, and equipment outages are mitigated as the network will self-optimize if a path becomes blocked or unavailable, redirecting packets via the next-best available link(s) in real-time.
This also increases transceiver capacity to ensure low latency and enables BreadCrumbs to be cascaded together by as many as 10 hops or more without throughput degradation. Rajant’s RCP-2450 antennas provide bi-directional coverage with dual-frequency Wi-Fi connections to assist in propagating signals around tunnel bends and to and from moving machinery. By placing BreadCrumb/RCP-2450 at interval locations throughout the tunnel, you gain additional redundancy to guarantee application performance in even the hardest-to-network areas of tunnel construction sites.
The Rajant RCP-2450 antenna array, powered by Poynting, with the BreadCrumb ME4, specially developed for bi-directional multi-band linear meshing
Gain Real-Time Visibility into Tunnel Operations
Tunneling for transportation, mining, and construction projects requires real-time monitoring of underground conditions to ensure safe and efficient operations. Rajant provides a high-bandwidth, fault-tolerant mesh that can be readily deployed to keep personnel and equipment covered site-wide and run applications to monitor conditions like seismic activity and surface structure stability.
In addition to real-time communications, Kinetic Mesh supports live-streaming video surveillance, machine telemetry, and sensor data from equipment collecting data on underground conditions, including groundwater level and the ground’s response. As a result, the remote command center has real-time insight into the operation’s status as they are occurring underground.
Enable Efficiency- and Safety-Enhancing Communications, Machine Automation & Tracking
Tunnel construction sites are inherently complex environments. Whether building a new tunnel or renovating an existing underground structure, on land or underwater, Rajant provides a high-bandwidth, fault-tolerant mesh that can be readily deployed to connect personnel and equipment. It also easily supports the growing number of Wi-Fi clients that are being used across these sites today, as every BreadCrumb node has integrated Wi-Fi service for compatibility with virtually any commercial off-the-shelf Wi-Fi devices such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, IP cameras, sensors, and other IP devices.
With Kinetic Mesh, you can meet safety mandates for real-time worker communications and tracking while running applications that improve efficiency, enhance overall safety, and speed construction. In fact, Rajant Kinetic Mesh is the only wireless network to enable fully mobile machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, with nodes deployed directly on equipment and robots so that they can communicate directly and orchestrate actions.
Schedule a Demo Today
See firsthand how Rajant’s inherently redundant BreadCrumb nodes, combined with Poynting’s dual-frequency bi-directional antenna system, reliably extend the range of mission-critical communications underground to power safer, more automated, and faster tunneling projects. Submit your information below, and we’ll connect you with our network experts to set a demo time.
