Designer and entrepreneur Massoud Hassani hopes to rid the planet of its estimated 100 million buried land mines within 10 years. That's why several years ago, he developed the Mine Kafon – a device that rolls across minefields like a tumbleweed, tripping mines as it goes. While it's a clever idea, he still wanted something that works faster. To that end, he is now developing the Mine Kafon Drone.
Currently in working prototype form, the drone takes the form of a custom-made multicopter that can be equipped with different tools. It's designed to seek and destroy mines in a three-step process.
First, equipped with a camera, it flies over the minefield in a grid pattern to create a 3D map of the area. Next, it goes back over with a metal detector hanging beneath it. Located 4 cm (1.6 in) above the ground, that device detects where the mines are buried. Their locations are noted on the map, in the form of GPS waypoints.
Finally, with a gripper swapped in place of the metal detector, the drone returns to the mines and deposits explosives on them, which are then remotely detonated.
Ultimately, Hassani would like to see the whole system be autonomous. He estimates that once it's up and running, it should be 20 times faster and far less expensive than traditional methods such as human or canine crews. Of course, it would also be safer.
If you're interested in helping support development of the Mine Kafon Drone, it's currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign.
Sources: Mine Kafon, Kickstarter
Designer and entrepreneur Massoud Hassani hopes to rid the planet of its estimated 100 million buried land mines within 10 years. That's why several years ago, he developed the Mine Kafon – a device that rolls across minefields like a tumbleweed, tripping mines as it goes. While it's a clever idea, he still wanted something that works faster. To that end, he is now developing the Mine Kafon Drone.
Currently in working prototype form, the drone takes the form of a custom-made multicopter that can be equipped with different tools. It's designed to seek and destroy mines in a three-step process.
First, equipped with a camera, it flies over the minefield in a grid pattern to create a 3D map of the area. Next, it goes back over with a metal detector hanging beneath it. Located 4 cm (1.6 in) above the ground, that device detects where the mines are buried. Their locations are noted on the map, in the form of GPS waypoints.
Finally, with a gripper swapped in place of the metal detector, the drone returns to the mines and deposits explosives on them, which are then remotely detonated.
Ultimately, Hassani would like to see the whole system be autonomous. He estimates that once it's up and running, it should be 20 times faster and far less expensive than traditional methods such as human or canine crews. Of course, it would also be safer.
If you're interested in helping support development of the Mine Kafon Drone, it's currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign.
Sources: Mine Kafon, Kickstarter
One thing Bill pointed out was that when you clear a field, you need to clear it 100%. In order to do that you need proper training and planning. In all the years he has had his team clearing land-mines, his track-record is perfect. 100%.
Given the relative death of landmine use (BTW: The US does NOT plant landmines, not sure what Calson is talking about). It is entirely feasible to clear existing land-mines the old-fashion-way. And Bill's main argument against drone use was that spending millions to develop them is silly when you consider how a million dollars would go solving it the old-fashioned (and proven) way.
In that sense I agree with Bill. If land-mine use is a dead tactic (which, according to him, it is nearly dead), then developing technology to rid the world of a dead tactic seems silly. But at the same time, if you do develop the technology, then that would only further the case for keeping landmine use dead.
So I'm conflicted as to which is better... spending millions on tech, or spending millions on old-school methods to eliminate all of the old mines (Bill seemed to think it would take 2-million). Remember, in countries like Cambodia, a well-paid land-mine remover doesn't cost very much (and provides a skilled labor job).