{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,1]],"date-time":"2026-07-01T16:50:36Z","timestamp":1782924636934,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,25]],"date-time":"2022-01-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1643068800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Inspection of mining assets is a crucial part of the maintenance process and is of interest to several stakeholders (e.g., OEMs, owners, users, and inspectors). Inspections require an inspector to verify several characteristics of the assets onsite, typically using legacy and poorly digitized procedures. Thus, many research opportunities arise from the adoption of digital technologies to make these procedures more efficient, reliable, and straightforward. In addition to cloud computing, the ubiquitous presence of modern mobile devices, new measurement tools with embedded connectivity capabilities, and blockchain technologies could greatly improve trust and transparency between the stakeholders interested in the inspection. However, there has been little discussion on integrating these technologies into the mining domain. This paper presents and evaluates an end-to-end system to conduct inspections using mobile devices that directly interact with constrained IoT sensor devices. Furthermore, our proposal provides a method to integrate constrained IoT devices as smart measuring tools that directly interact with a blockchain system, guaranteeing data integrity and increasing the trustworthiness of the data. Finally, we highlight the benefits of our proposed architecture by evaluating a real case study in a mining inspection scenario.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s22030899","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,25]],"date-time":"2022-01-25T21:07:11Z","timestamp":1643144831000},"page":"899","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":33,"title":["Integrating the IoT and Blockchain Technology for the Next Generation of Mining Inspection Systems"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"22","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5847-2145","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Miguel","family":"Pincheira","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Fondazione Bruno Kessler, 38123 Trento, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1685-0264","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mattia","family":"Antonini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fondazione Bruno Kessler, 38123 Trento, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4426-8220","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Massimo","family":"Vecchio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fondazione Bruno Kessler, 38123 Trento, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"550","DOI":"10.3390\/iot1020029","article-title":"A Study on Industrial IoT for the Mining Industry: Synthesized Architecture and Open Research Directions","volume":"1","author":"Aziz","year":"2020","journal-title":"IoT"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"15370","article-title":"Predicting Mining Industry Accidents with a Multitask Learning Approach","volume":"35","author":"Palma","year":"2021","journal-title":"Proc. AAAI Conf. Artif. Intell."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Stodt, J., Jastremskoj, E., Reich, C., Welte, D., and Sikora, A. (2019, January 18\u201321). Formal description of use cases for industry 4.0 maintenance processes using blockchain technology. Proceedings of the 10th IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Data Acquisition and Advanced Computing Systems: Technology and Applications (IDAACS), Metz, France.","DOI":"10.1109\/IDAACS.2019.8924382"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"67594","DOI":"10.1109\/ACCESS.2018.2877523","article-title":"Smart Audio Sensors in the Internet of Things Edge for Anomaly Detection","volume":"6","author":"Antonini","year":"2018","journal-title":"IEEE Access"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ravi, D., Honnavalli, P.B., Vijay, C.N., and Charanraj, B.R. (2020, January 18\u201320). A system to retrofit existing infrastructure to be smart and IoT ready. Proceedings of the 2020 4th International Conference on Vision, Image and Signal Processing (ICVISP 2020), Bangkok, Thailand.","DOI":"10.1145\/3448823.3448864"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"173","DOI":"10.1016\/j.future.2018.05.046","article-title":"On blockchain and its integration with IoT. Challenges and opportunities","volume":"88","author":"Reyna","year":"2018","journal-title":"Future Gener. Comput. Syst."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"578","DOI":"10.1016\/j.oregeorev.2015.10.019","article-title":"The Syama and Tabakoroni goldfields, Mali","volume":"78","author":"Ballo","year":"2016","journal-title":"Ore Geol. Rev."},{"key":"ref_8","unstructured":"Press, C. (2019). Mining 4.0 in developing countries. Scientific and Practical Studies of Raw Material Issues, CRC Press. [1st ed.]."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Krot, P., Korennoi, V., and Zimroz, R. (2020). Vibration-Based Diagnostics of Radial Clearances and Bolts Loosening in the Bearing Supports of the Heavy-Duty Gearboxes. Sensors, 20.","DOI":"10.3390\/s20247284"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Carvalho, R., Nascimento, R., D\u2019Angelo, T., Delabrida, S., G. C. Bianchi, A., Oliveira, R.A.R., Azp\u00farua, H., and Uzeda Garcia, L.G. (2020). A UAV-Based Framework for Semi-Automated Thermographic Inspection of Belt Conveyors in the Mining Industry. Sensors, 20.","DOI":"10.3390\/s20082243"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tubis, A., Werbi\u0144ska-Wojciechowska, S., and Wroblewski, A. (2020). Risk Assessment Methods in Mining Industry: A Systematic Review. Appl. Sci., 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/app10155172"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tubis, A.A., Werbi\u0144ska-Wojciechowska, S., G\u00f3ralczyk, M., Wr\u00f3blewski, A., and Zi\u0119tek, B. (2020). Cyber-Attacks Risk Analysis Method for Different Levels of Automation of Mining Processes in Mines Based on Fuzzy Theory Use. Sensors, 20.","DOI":"10.3390\/s20247210"},{"key":"ref_13","first-page":"1","article-title":"Characteristics and trends of coal mine safety development","volume":"J27","author":"Li","year":"2021","journal-title":"Energy Sources Part Recover. Util. Environ. Eff."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"222","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ssci.2018.08.010","article-title":"Fault tree analysis and risk mitigation strategies for mine hoists","volume":"110","author":"Giraud","year":"2018","journal-title":"Saf. Sci."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wodecki, J., G\u00f3ralczyk, M., Krot, P., Zi\u0119tek, B., Szrek, J., Worsa-Kozak, M., Zimroz, R., \u015aliwi\u0144ski, P., and Czajkowski, A. (2020). Process Monitoring in Heavy Duty Drilling Rigs\u2014Data Acquisition System and Cycle Identification Algorithms. Energies, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/en13246748"},{"key":"ref_16","first-page":"701","article-title":"Mining 4.0\u2014The Impact of New Technology from a Work Place Perspective","volume":"36","author":"Abrahamsson","year":"2019","journal-title":"Min. Metall. Explor."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"229","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijmst.2017.01.007","article-title":"Digitalization of mine operations: Scenarios to benefit in real-time truck dispatching","volume":"27","author":"Chaowasakoo","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int. J. Min. Sci. Technol."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1676","DOI":"10.1109\/COMST.2018.2886932","article-title":"Applications of Blockchains in the Internet of Things: A Comprehensive Survey","volume":"21","author":"Ali","year":"2018","journal-title":"IEEE Commun. Surv. Tutor."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17578","DOI":"10.1109\/ACCESS.2019.2895302","article-title":"A Review on Blockchain Technologies for an Advanced and Cyber-Resilient Automotive Industry","volume":"7","year":"2019","journal-title":"IEEE Access"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gatteschi, V., Lamberti, F., Demartini, C., Pranteda, C., and Santamar\u00eda, V. (2018). Blockchain and Smart Contracts for Insurance: Is the Technology Mature Enough?. Future Internet, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/fi10020020"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"41426","DOI":"10.1109\/ACCESS.2019.2907695","article-title":"Blockchain Technology in the Oil and Gas Industry: A Review of Applications, Opportunities, Challenges, and Risks","volume":"7","author":"Lu","year":"2019","journal-title":"IEEE Access"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"184","DOI":"10.1108\/BEPAM-11-2018-0142","article-title":"Exploring the feasibility of blockchain technology as an infrastructure for improving built asset sustainability","volume":"10","author":"Shojaei","year":"2019","journal-title":"Built Environ. Proj. Asset Manag."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Aleshi, A., Seker, R., and Babiceanu, R.F. (2019, January 5\u20136). Blockchain Model for Enhancing Aircraft Maintenance Records Security. Proceedings of the IEEE International Symposium on Technologies for Homeland Security (HST), Woburn, MA, USA.","DOI":"10.1109\/HST47167.2019.9032943"},{"key":"ref_24","unstructured":"Mohril, R.S., Solanki, B.S., Lad, B.K., and Kulkarni, M.S. (2021). Blockchain Enabled Maintenance Management Framework for Military Equipment. IEEE Trans. Eng. Manag., 1\u201314."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Heiss, J., Eberhardt, J., and Tai, S. (2019, January 14\u201317). From Oracles to Trustworthy Data On-Chaining Systems. Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Blockchain (Blockchain), Seoul, Korea.","DOI":"10.1109\/Blockchain.2019.00075"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105889","DOI":"10.1016\/j.compag.2020.105889","article-title":"Cost-effective IoT devices as trustworthy data sources for a blockchain-based water management system in precision agriculture","volume":"180","author":"Pincheira","year":"2021","journal-title":"Comput. Electron. Agric."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pincheira, M., and Vecchio, M. (2020, January 7\u201311). Towards Trusted Data on Decentralized IoT Applications: Integrating Blockchain in Constrained Devices. Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Communications Workshops (ICC Workshops), Dublin, Ireland.","DOI":"10.1109\/ICCWorkshops49005.2020.9145328"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2292","DOI":"10.1109\/ACCESS.2016.2566339","article-title":"Blockchains and smart contracts for the internet of things","volume":"4","author":"Christidis","year":"2016","journal-title":"IEEE Access"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wessling, F., Ehmke, C., Hesenius, M., and Gruhn, V. (2018, January 28). How Much Blockchain Do You Need? Towards a Concept for Building Hybrid DApp Architectures. Proceedings of the 2018 IEEE\/ACM 1st International Workshop on Emerging Trends in Software Engineering for Blockchain (WETSEB), Gothenburg, Swedenm.","DOI":"10.1145\/3194113.3194121"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Conoscenti, M., Vetr\u00f2, A., and De Martin, J.C. (December, January 29). Blockchain for the Internet of Things: A systematic literature review. Proceedings of the 2016 IEEE\/ACS 13th International Conference of Computer Systems and Applications (AICCSA), Agadir, Morocco.","DOI":"10.1109\/AICCSA.2016.7945805"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3567","DOI":"10.1109\/TII.2018.2841049","article-title":"Cryptographic Solutions for Industrial Internet-of-Things: Research Challenges and Opportunities","volume":"14","author":"Choo","year":"2018","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Ind. Inform."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100057","DOI":"10.1016\/j.iot.2019.100057","article-title":"PUF-derived IoT identities in a zero-knowledge protocol for blockchain","volume":"9","author":"Baturone","year":"2020","journal-title":"Internet Things"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.1109\/MS.2017.24","article-title":"Microservices in practice, part 1: Reality check and service design","volume":"34","author":"Pautasso","year":"2017","journal-title":"IEEE Softw."},{"key":"ref_34","unstructured":"Buterin, V. (2021, December 14). Ethereum: A Next-Generation Smart Contract and Decentralized Application Platform. Technical Report. Available online: http:\/\/ethereum.org\/ethereum.html."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Atzei, N., Bartoletti, M., and Cimoli, T. (2017, January 22\u201329). A Survey of Attacks on Ethereum Smart Contracts (SoK). Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Principles of Security and Trust, Uppsala, Swedenm.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-662-54455-6_8"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Prieto, J., Partida, A., Leit\u00e3o, P., and Pinto, A. (2022). Benchmarking Constrained IoT Devices in Blockchain-Based Agri-Food Traceability Applications. Blockchain and Applications, Springer International Publishing.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-86162-9"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"352","DOI":"10.1504\/IJWGS.2018.095647","article-title":"Blockchain challenges and opportunities: A survey","volume":"14","author":"Zheng","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int. J. Web Grid Serv."}],"container-title":["Sensors"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/22\/3\/899\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T22:07:03Z","timestamp":1760134023000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/22\/3\/899"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,25]]},"references-count":37,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,2]]}},"alternative-id":["s22030899"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/s22030899","relation":{},"ISSN":["1424-8220"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1424-8220","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,25]]}}}