To reduce reliance on other countries for minerals (e.g., coal, rare-earth metals), the USA has seen an invigoration of mining activity in recent years. Unfortunately, miners often have to work in dangerous environments where there is risk of mine explosions, fires, poisonous gases, and flooding in tunnels. Mine accidents have killed over 500 US and 40,000 mine workers worldwide in the past decade.

This project focuses on modern buildings as a natural expression of a cyber-physical system, with many features that are typical to such systems. This project focuses on modern buildings as a natural expression of a cyber-physical system, with many features that are typical to such systems. Modern buildings exhibit a tight integration of sensing, computation, and actuation within multiple physical domains.