A lot of mine detection in Ukraine is currently carried out using a technique known as prodding, where demining personnel manually probe the ground with rods. This ground penetrating method poses extremely high risks to the demining personnel, due to the close proximity to the mines. Furthermore, deep penetration of the ground requires substantial force, which reduces the sensitivity of human operators to detect unexploded ordnance (UXO). Therefore, this project aims to develop a modular remotely operated mine detection system, which uses electrically actuated prodders with force feedback to reliably detect potential mines in the ground.
Impact
With the successful completion of the project, a new and safe method for mine detection will be available for introduction in field operations. It is expected that the usage of the system by personnel previously deployed for manual demining will reduce the risk and occurrence of heavy or lethal injuries drastically since the personnel can operate the mine detection system from a safe distance.
Due to the cost-effective approach, it is expected that the novel mine detection system will see widespread use through the Interregional Centre humanitarian demining and rapid response of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
