Mine detection performance comparison between manual sweeping and tele-operated robotic system

Abstract

Mine detection is a dangerous and physically demanding task that is very well-suited for robotic applications. In the experiment described in this paper, we try to determine whether a remotely-operated robotic mine detection system equipped with a hand-held mine detector can match the performance of a human equipped with a hand-held mine detector. To achieve this objective, we developed the Robotic Mine Sweeper (RMS). The RMS platform is capable of accurately sweeping and mapping mine lanes using common detectors, such as the Minelab F3 Mine Detector or the AN/PSS-14. The RMS is fully remote controlled from a safe distance by a laptop via a redundant wireless connection link. Data collected from the mine detector and various sensors mounted on the robot are transmitted and logged in real-time to the remote user interface and simultaneously graphically displayed. In addition, a stereo color camera mounted on top of the robot sends a live picture of the terrain. The system plays audio feedback from the detector to further enhance the user's situational awareness. The user is trained to drag and drop various icons onto the user interface map to locate mines and non-mine clutter objects. We ran experiments with the RMS to compare its detection and false alarm rates with those obtained when the user physically sweeps the detectors in the field. The results of two trials: one with the Minelab F3, the other with the Cyterra AN/PSS-14 are presented here.