Terrain Analysis in Eastern Ukraine and the Design of a Robotic Platform Carrying GPR Sensors for Landmine Detection

Abstract

We are designing and building a multi-sensor semi-autonomous vehicle to assist in humanitarian demining in the Donbass conflict zone, Ukraine. The vehicle will carry impulse GPR for fast target detection, and holographic GPR for discrimination of mines from clutter. The design includes the possibility to add additional sensor. To ensure that the vehicle is compatible with actual Donbass conditions, the COTS dimensions of the selected vehicle (Clearpath Robotics “Jackal”), and relief profiles from two transects collected on the edge of the conflict zone, were compared using morphological filtering terrain analysis. The analysis shows that the vehicle can traverse the recorded transects with no threat of nose-in failure, and minimal threat of hang-up failure. Preliminary testing of the holographic radar mounted on the vehicle show that it can effectively image the footprint of mine-like targets, with resolution of a little more than one centimeter.