Advancements in Drone Technology for Mine Detection

With a deliberate and stiff gait, a specialized drone dog navigated a makeshift minefield at a U.S. Army testing facility in Virginia, its sensors shuddering as it approached a plate-sized puck designed to simulate an anti-tank explosive. This innovative robotic canine was equipped with an array of cameras, GPS devices, advanced radios, and thermal imaging technology, all aimed at enhancing its ability to detect mines at close range. By doing so, it aims to protect human lives from the dangers associated with mine detection and clearance.

During a demonstration this summer outside Washington, Kendall V. Johnson, a physicist with the Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command, remarked on the drone dog’s capabilities. “For the most part, it can recognize when to steer clear of a simulated mine. However, there are instances where it doesn’t,” he explained. “That’s an area we are actively working to improve.”

This drone dog represents a significant leap in anti-mine warfare technology — a domain that, until recently, had seen little evolution over the past half-century. Just as drones have emerged as pivotal offensive weapons in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, proving their worth in modern combat scenarios, they are now being repurposed for defensive roles, introducing safer and more efficient methods for detecting and clearing land mines.

“There’s a certain poetic justice to this development,” said Colin King, a seasoned military and humanitarian weapons expert. He co-founded Fenix Insight, a firm based in England dedicated to detecting and neutralizing unexploded ordnance. “Drones have been instrumental in causing destruction in this war, and I find it quite fitting that they could also play a crucial role in providing a solution to the very problems they helped create.”

In a recent demonstration at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, a quadruped drone dog showcased its capabilities in demining technology. Credit: Kyle Richardson/U.S. Army

As in many other fields, artificial intelligence is a driving force behind these advancements. For instance, Fenix has developed cutting-edge software that enables drones not only to detect and identify various types of land mines but also to anticipate their locations. This is achieved by leveraging open-source intelligence and social media reports from global conflicts where military forces have deployed mines or where rockets have released scatterable munitions.