Opportunities, challenges and social implications of emerging UAV-based infrared plastic landmine detection systems.
Abstract
Unrestrained use of landmines as a weapon of unconventional warfare rapidly increased in armed conflicts of the last century, with at least 110 million landmines remaining in place across post-conflict regions. Detection and identification of munitions and explosives of concern (MECs) largely relies on the geophysical principles of magnetometry and electromagnetic-induction (EMI), which makes non-magnetic plastic MECs particularly difficult to detect and extremely dangerous to clear. In a recent study we demonstrated the potential of time-lapse thermal imaging technology to detect unique thermal signatures associated with plastic MECs. We present results of a series of field trials demonstrating viability of low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with an infrared optical system to detect and identify the most notorious plastic landmine - the Soviet-era PFM-1 aerially deployed antipersonnel mine. We couple our results of our field trials with a series of stationary experiments to identify a range of environmental conditions that impact remote time-lapse infrared MEC detection and outline optimal parameters for successful application of this methodology. We present results of an experiment simulating analysis of a full-scale randomized ballistic PFM-1 minefield and demonstrate our ability to accurately detect and identify all elements associated with this common type of deployment.
The miniaturization of sensors and rapid development of UAV technology has enabled new approaches to the problem of landmine identification and clearing. We report significantly reduced time and equipment costs associated with the use of a UAV-mounted infrared system and anticipate its utility to both the scientific and NGO community. Finally, we discuss policy and ethics challenges associated with wide-scale adaptation of emerging landmine detection technologies and techniques, as well as opportunities for future collaborations between public sector demining organizations and academic institutions.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFMPA32C..32N
- Keywords:
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- 1930 Data and information governance;
- INFORMATICSDE: 1999 General or miscellaneous;
- INFORMATICSDE: 6349 General or miscellaneous;
- POLICY SCIENCESDE: 6620 Science policy;
- PUBLIC ISSUES