Landmine buried depth estimation by curve characterization of metal mine detector signals

Abstract

Humanitarian demining aims at clearing landmine affected areas, but the current manual demining techniques are still slow, costly and dangerous. Discrimination methods for distinguishing between real mines and metal fragments would greatly increase efficiency of such demining operations, but none practical solution has been implemented yet. Important information for discrimination are the depth which targets are buried, so estimation methods of this physical property are desired. In this research, a new, accurate and fast method based on Spatially Represented Metal Mine Detector Signals for estimating metallic targets depths using Metal Mine Detectors is presented, which takes advantage of high precision scanning of the minefield using robotic manipulator.