2009 R&D 100 Winner
Decades after armed conflicts end, hidden land mines continue to maim and kill thousands of innocent civilians. Today, 79 countries are plagued by mine fields, with limited resources to remove them. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (Livermore, Calif.) Land Mine Locator is a humanitarian aerial land mine detection platform designed to identify what today’s metal detectors can not. It is equipped with an array of ultra-wideband radar sensors and sophisticated subsurface tomography algorithms that provide exceptional quality sub-surface images. The Land Mine Locator combines unique technologies, LANDMARC and HYSTAR. The LANDMARC features an array of ground penetrating, ultra-wide band radar sensors, and a signal processing engine capable of detecting and mapping landmines buried at shallow depths. The HYSTAR is an aerial platform that is remotely operated, highly maneuverable, and stable. Capable of navigating meters off the ground, hovering over a spot, or cruising at 45 mph, the HYSTAR permits remote, reusable, safe operation for sensor platforms.
Technology
Land mine detection platform
Developer
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
