Back in 2014, drones were mostly a curiosity for me–high-tech gadgets buzzing overhead, snapping photos from angles we’d only dreamed of. I didn’t see them as tools that would one day, quite literally, help save lives. Then 2022 happened. Suddenly, I was watching drone technology being pressed into service over Ukrainian minefields, and I realized how much this landscape was changing. For the past few years, I’ve been digging deep into the world of humanitarian demining: how workers can stay safer, how the process can be sped up, and how we might finally make a dent in a problem that still scars the globe. One pattern has become clear: while artificial intelligence and drones are rewriting the rulebook in remarkable ways, there’s still a long road ahead.
If you watched a drone in action above a suspected minefield, you might think the solution is at hand. Especially in the early stages of demining–when teams are just trying to get a sense of the territory–drones equipped with sophisticated cameras and AI mapping tools have proven their worth. These flying scouts cover vast stretches quickly, collecting high-precision data to help pinpoint where deeper investigation is needed. But a drone simply can’t spot every hidden threat. When it comes down to the hard, slow work of technical surveying–finding and mapping each individual mine–you’re still relying on what generations past relied upon: humans, dogs, specialized gear, nerves of steel.
The scale of the challenge is staggering. In just one year, there were at least 15 deminer casualties spread across three nations. Clearing all the world’s leftover mines and unexploded munitions at our current pace might take more than a century. The cost is punishing, too. Unearthing a single mine often runs a hundred times the price of making it in the first place. Then there’s the heartbreaking human toll: over 5,700 people were killed or hurt by mines in the last year alone, the overwhelming majority civilians.
There’s another uncomfortable truth: today’s drone technology has big limitations. Most drones carry regular or thermal cameras pointed straight down, which is a poor way to spot anything hidden beneath dense brush or layers of earth. In heavily vegetated areas, detection rates can tumble to alarming lows–sometimes a mere 5%. Non-metallic and old corroded mines are even trickier: they don’t reflect light, don’t register heat, and blend right into their surroundings. Look at Cambodia, a country still haunted by landmines laid decades ago, where over 64,000 people have been killed or maimed since the 1970s. The mines that remain are more invisible than ever.
And then there’s the weather. A rainy day or thick clouds can disrupt aerial mapping and sensor readings, dragging out even the simplest of survey tasks. Layer on the financial complexities: in countries worst afflicted by landmines, there are sometimes over 100 square kilometers to clear. Each hectare costs hundreds if not thousands of dollars to process–which, in many cases, actually exceeds the value of the land that’s being returned to safety. False alarms are a daily frustration; for every real mine found, deminers may have to check 50 “suspect” spots, each requiring precious time and money. This is why international support remains critical, and why so few private firms are involved.
Still, it’s not all frustration and false starts. There are glimmers of genuine technological hope. My team has turned its attention to ground-penetrating synthetic aperture radar (GPR-SAR) systems mounted on drones–an approach that’s gaining traction in research circles. Teams at the University of Oviedo, for example, have shown that this technology can reveal hidden mines, even plastic ones, no matter the weather, day or night. By firing radar pulses into the earth and analyzing the echoes, these drones can build 3D images of what’s lurking underground. The system is far from flawless, but the sheer volume and accuracy of data mean AI models have a better foundation to learn from. If developed further, solutions like this could go a long way toward cutting costs and making demining safer and more accessible for the poorest, most mine-affected corners of the world.
To read more about emerging innovations in drone-based demining, including the latest research and breakthroughs, check out the original article on Unite.AI.
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