Anti-personnel Landmine Detection for Humanitarian Demining reports on state-of-the-art technologies developed during a Japanese National Research Project (2002–2007). The conventional method of landmine detection is using metal detectors to sense the metal in mines, but often other metal fragments in minefields camouflage landmines and hinder progress using this form of demining. The challenge is to develop detection systems that can discriminate between AP landmines and random metal fragments. The JST adopted research proposals and the results are reported here. This book concentrates on aspects of three approaches to AP mine detection: enhancing and confirming the results of metal-detection scans using GPR; using robot vehicles and manipulators to operate within minefields remotely; and methods of sensing the explosives within mines. Results are presented in the fields of GPR, nuclear quadrupole resonance, neutron thermal analysis and biosensors. The integration of these methods for workable robot operation is demonstrated. The project was carried out in conjunction with mine action centers in Croatia, Cambodia and Afghanistan. Evaluation data from field trials are also given.

At the rate that government and nongovernmental organizations are clearing existing landmines, it will take 450-500 years to rid the world of them. Concerned about the slow pace of demining, the Office of Science and Technology asked RAND to assess potential innovative technologies being explored and to project what funding would be required to foster the development of the more promising ones. The authors of this report suggest that the federal government undertake a research and development effort to develop a multisensor mine detection system over the next five to eight years.

Anti-personnel Landmine Detection for Humanitarian Demining reports on state-of-the-art technologies developed during a Japanese National Research Project (2002–2007). The conventional method of landmine detection is using metal detectors to sense the metal in mines, but often other metal fragments in minefields camouflage landmines and hinder progress using this form of demining. The challenge is to develop detection systems that can discriminate between AP landmines and random metal fragments. The JST adopted research proposals and the results are reported here. This book concentrates on aspects of three approaches to AP mine detection: enhancing and confirming the results of metal-detection scans using GPR; using robot vehicles and manipulators to operate within minefields remotely; and methods of sensing the explosives within mines. Results are presented in the fields of GPR, nuclear quadrupole resonance, neutron thermal analysis and biosensors. The integration of these methods for workable robot operation is demonstrated. The project was carried out in conjunction with mine action centers in Croatia, Cambodia and Afghanistan. Evaluation data from field trials are also given.

Bioinspired systems, technologies and techniques known as “biomimetics” or the “mimicry of nature,” represent a ground-breaking method of scientific research based on innovation and a creative design approach of the ‘nature’ laboratory to be applied to any scientific discipline. This approach and the associated way of thinking facilitates the cross-fertilization of scientific fields, integrating biology and the interdisciplinary knowledge featuring the evolution of models that have refined in nature within any scientific discipline.

Robots are used in industry, rescue missions, military operations, and subwater missions. Their use in hazardous environments is crucial in terms of occupational safety of workers and the health of rescue and military operations. This book presents several hazardous environment operations and safe operations of robots interacting with people in the context of occupational health and safety.

Soil Magnetism: Applications in Pedology, Environmental Science and Agriculture provides a systematic, comparative, and detailed overview of the magnetic characterization of the major soil units and the observed general relationships, possibilities, and perspectives in application of rock magnetic methods in soil science, agriculture, and beyond. Part I covers detailed magnetic and geochemical characterization of major soil types according to the FAO classification system, with Part II covering the mapping of topsoil magnetic signatures on the basis of soil magnetic characteristics. The book concludes with practical examples on the application of magnetic methods in environmental science, agriculture, soil pollution, and paleoclimate. - Provides an overview of the major findings of uncontaminated soil profiles and proposes a system of magnetic characteristics - Elucidates the relationship between geochemical and magnetic characteristics of different soil types, providing a basis for wider recognition and application of soil magnetism in classical pedagogical characterization of soils - Covers the peculiarities of the main taxonomic soil groups in terms of magnetic mineralogy and depth variations in concentration, grain size, and phase composition of iron oxides

Every day, civilians in dozens of countries around the world are injured and killed by landmines and other lethal leftovers of conflict, years after hostilities of war have ended. Once planted, a mine will never be able to tell the difference between a military and civilian footstep, and a bomblet will continue to attract children and metal dealers. In order to put an end to the suffering and casualties caused by antipersonnel mines, the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (the Ottawa Convention or Mine Ban Treaty), was adopted in 1997. Further, in order to prevent suffering and casualties caused by cluster munitions at the time of their use, the Convention on the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Cluster Munitions (the Oslo Convention), was adopted in 2008. In 1996, the Royal Military Academy (RMA) opted for the implementation of mine action technological projects funded by the Belgian Ministry of Defense and the Belgian State Secretariat for Development Cooperation. It further decided to set up a close collaboration with other Belgian universities, which started organizing their own research activities on mine action. Later, other funding sources were granted to RMA by the Belgian Science Policy, the European Commission, and the European Committee for Standardization. At a more politico-administrative level, RMA participates in the States Parties Meetings of the Mine Ban Treaty, and in this context, Prof. Acheroy created an expert group on mine action technologies with representatives of different organizations and countries, aiming at informing the States Parties of the Mine Ban Treaty about the evolution of the mine action technologies. Further, Prof. Y. Baudoin created working groups dedicated to robotics in mine action within international organization. This book reports research activities achieved by the RMA.s

This ARW is the third NATO-sponsored workshop on Explosives Detection and Humanitarian Demining. The previous events were • Detection and Destruction of Anti-Personnel Landmines Moscow, 1997 • Explosives Detection and Decontamination of the Environment Prague, 1997. Over the last decade applied research in Humanitarian Demining has made progress to some extend, but according to the tremendous tasks of Demining and the lack of scientific methods for practical detection of explosive devices, research activities are still of the same importance than ever before. Concerning countermeasures against terrorism the detection of explosives is one of the keyfactors, but the practical applications are not sufficient solved. An international exchange of research results are therefore urgent, to find out the most promising measures for application. The coincidence of this ARW and the terrible disaster of New York and Washington may demonstrate the importance of this task. In consequence the explosive device detection technologies can make a major contribution to collective, family and individual security. In developed countries, these technologies provide a strong deterrent and preventative measure against terrorist threats. In less developed regions, they can improve individual, institutional and state security, lessening the insecurity that motivates many terrorists acts. The elimination of landmine threats is just one of many ways of achieving this. However our attempts to meet the extremely difficult technical challenges posed by landmine and UXO contamination are inevitably leading us to new technological approaches.

This book examines potential technologies for replacing antipersonnel landmines by 2006, the U.S. target date for signing an international treaty banning these weapons. Alternative Technologies to Replace Antipersonnel Landmines emphasizes the role that technology can play to allow certain weapons to be used more selectively, reducing the danger to uninvolved civilians while improving the effectiveness of the U.S. military. Landmines are an important weapon in the U.S. military's arsenal but the persistent variety can cause unintended casualties, to both civilians and friendly forces. New technologies could replace some, but not all, of the U.S. military's antipersonnel landmines by 2006. In the period following 2006, emerging technologies might eliminate the landmine totally, while retaining the necessary functionalities that today's mines provide to the military.