Sir Bobby Charlton, founder of FABW said: "The UN estimates that it would take more than 1,100 years to clear the estimated 110million landmines situated in 70 countries. As a charity we are determined to find a practicable technology solution that can bring an end to this humanitarian tragedy."
Landmine detection techniques have barely changed since the Second World War. The fact that modern day landmines are usually plastic instead of metal makes detection extremely difficult.
In addition to facing the technological challenges, the landmine problem is also an economic one: a landmine which costs £2 to purchase can cost between £120 to £600 to find and clear, not to mention the immeasurable cost on human life
The University of Bath's Dr Manuchehr Soleimani will lead a three-year, £100,000 research project to develop technology that can differentiate between images of plastic and metallic elements within a single device, at depths of up to 10cm underground on varied terrain. Initial findings have demonstrated positive results for the technology at finding both dielectric and metallic samples concealed underground.