Development of robot and navigation techniques for humanitarian demining

The fundamental goals of humanitarian demining are to detect and clear each individual mine from infected areas efficiently, economically, reliably, rapidly and as safely as possible in order to make these areas economically viable and useful for development. The problem associated with humanitarian demining is characterized by an enormous variability in the nature of explosive ordnance to be removed, climate diversity, and in the type of terrain and vegetation. Although demining has been given top priority, currently minepsilas clearing operation is labor-intensive, slow, very dangerous, expensive, and low technology operation. In order to improve mine clearance productivity, accuracy, and increase safety of demining personnel, there is a need for efficient, reliable and cost effective humanitarian mine action equipment. Mechanized and robotized solutions properly sized with suitably modularized structure and well adapted to local conditions of minefields can greatly improve the safety of personnel as well as efficiency and flexibility. Such flexible machines with some level of decision-making capabilities can speed the clearance process when used in combination with other mine detection tools. Most people in the mine clearance community would be delighted if the work could be done remotely through teleoperated systems or, even better, autonomously through the use of service robots. A population of lightweight, robust, adaptable, low-cost, and multi operational mode robots that can integrate high speed mine detection and deactivation system is a clear answer to the problem of demining vast condemned areas. They will work together under close supervision of a monitoring station. The robot has three levels of control: Local scan, navigation (GPS and odometry) and collective behavior through radio coordination. Ground pressure of the developed robot is low enough not to make the mine explode. Pemex-B has to scan a large area, and assure the coverage of every part of i- - t.