University of Coimbra is developing robot that detects mines
A team at the Institute for systems and Robotics (ISR) at the University of Coimbra is developing a mine detection robot, to assist in the task of removing million active land mines around the world.The team members are currently submitting the robot to a series of tests and working to the optimize and automate the dangerous manual effort that is needed in removing mines, it tells an article on Gizmag, quoted by Green Savers Angola.The project began in 2012, when, as part of the Partnerbot scholarship program that supports the development of robotics research, the Canadian company Clearpath Robotics provided the Portuguese Institute a mobile robotics base known as Husky Unmanned Ground Vehicle.After having received the Husky, the research team has equipped it with navigation and location sensors, a ground-penetrating radar and a custom robotic arm with a metal detector. This equipment was installed in the robot for the same notice the characteristics of the terrain, navigating through the ground, and detect and locate land mines.The first series of tests, in 2013, had to be interrupted due to complications with the custom robotic arm. The team is now make adjustments to the machine, with the desire to perform more tests in mid-2014."Mine detection is a very dangerous and time-consuming process," said Lino Marques, professor at the University of Coimbra and researcher in the ISR. "Robots don't get tired; can be extremely thorough in performing its work and its cost is under less of a human life. For these reasons, the robots are the perfect solution to the problem of removal of mines ".If the team's vision is fulfilled, the robot will be an additional effort among other mine detection robots that are already in use, such as the MineWolf and DIGGER DTR D-3. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimates that there are 110 million landmines, which claim 800 lives a month. Any attempt to help minimize this damage would be welcome.
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