Remember the Sago Mine disaster in West Virginia in 2006? The mine collapsed and a dozen people died when rescuers could not locate them in time.
The folks at InSeT Systems remember the incident well; and their goal is to make sure that never happens again.
The Akron-based company is fine-tuning its Inertial Sensor Tracking System, which uses inertial technology to provide the most accurate location data available underground. The device will also work any other places GPS can't reach (think outerspace and underwater).
The mining industry got a push toward additional safety standards in 2006 with the passage of the MINER Act, requiring mining companies to wirelessly track where all of their employees are at all times.
Jay Breeding, InSeT's chief operations officer, says the founders of the company knew that no such technology existed on the market.
They got a $400,000 loan from JumpStart and began the work. InSeT later received loans from the state and a grant from the Ohio Coal Development Office for $330,000.
With a product developed, InSeT will now begin large-scale testing. What better place to test than the largest underground mine in Ohio?
"We're very optimistic about this test," Breeding says.
He adds there are plans to add as many as 50 jobs by the end of 2012 -- not including subcontractors. Four people, including Breeding, are currently employed with InSeT.
"We had to start from scratch but we know we've got superior technology," he says, adding that the company recently took home a 2010 NorTech Innovation Award. "We'll hang the gold star on our door when someone gets to go home who otherwise wouldn't have."
Source: Jay Breeding, InSeT Systems
Writer: Colin McEwen