HOPE: Handheld operational de-mining system

• Forschungsstelle: EU FRP
• Projektnummer: 98.0249
• Projekttitel Englisch: HOPE: Handheld operational de-mining system

Schlüsselwörter (Englisch)

Landmine detection; ground penetrating radar; GPR; multi-sensor approach; advanced metal detector; microwave radiometer; hand-held operation

Alternative Projektnummern (Englisch)

EU project number: 29870

Forschungsprogramme (Englisch)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 1.3 Telematic systems

Kurzbeschreibung (Englisch)

See abstract

Partner und Internationale Organisationen (Englisch)

Coordinator: Vallon GmbH (D)

Abstract (Englisch)

It is estimated that more than 100 million antipersonnel mines have been deployed in the world. The metallic content of these mines is very low, thus limiting the usefulness of metal detectors for their detection. Therefore, project HOPE (Handheld OPerational dEmining system) supported by the European Community is aimed at providing enhanced means for the detection of antipersonnel mines. By implementing three different sensors - an advanced metal detector (AMD), a microwave radiometer (MWR) and a high-resolution ground penetrating radar (GPR) - on a handheld device, HOPE will be able to lower the false alarm rate significantly compared to standard detectors. The second benefit of the multi-sensor approach will be the ability to detect mines with very low metal content or even metal-free mines.
Another new feature of the HOPE device is its imaging capability. Unlike standard detectors it will be able to give the deminer a map-like view of the scanned area and thus additional information on the position and shape of suspicious objects. The position information needed to create maps using the sensor data is provided by a newly developed light-weight optical positioning system (OPS, developed by RMA). By means of the GPR it is even possible to estimate the depth at which the mine is buried.
The different sensors were developed in parallel by the major project partners Vallon GmbH (AMD), DLR (MWR) and RST (GPR). An extensive set of tests was performed with the single sensors and they were prepared for integration with the other sensors. All parts of the equipment were designed very light-weight and cost-effective in order to meet the requirements for a handheld detector. Successful operation of a technology demonstrator incorporating all sensors was proven in a field campaign on an artificially prepared minefield in Sarajevo, Bosnia. The data gathered during this campaign was processed using newly developed algorithms and prepared for data fusion in a database.

Datenbankreferenzen (Englisch)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 98.0249