New Laser Technology by the University of Mississippi Accelerates Landmine Detection and Removal

The University of Mississippi has developed a new laser-based technology that makes landmine detection and removal faster and safer. The technology, known as "LAMBDIS," was showcased at the Optica Laser Congress and Exhibition in Osaka, Japan. "LAMBDIS" utilizes laser beams for accurate, fast, and safe landmine detection, enhancing the safety of operations.

Vyacheslav Aranchuk, a principal scientist at the National Center for Physical Acoustics, stated that the technology can detect landmines from a safe distance, noting, "There are military applications for this technology in current conflicts and humanitarian applications once conflicts have ended."

Statistics indicate that there are more than 110 million active landmines worldwide, causing thousands of injuries and deaths each year. In 2022 alone, over 4,700 people were killed or injured by landmines, with 85% of the victims being civilians, half of whom were children. While landmines are inexpensive to produce, costing only about $3 each, removing a single mine can cost up to $1,000 and often relies on traditional metal detectors, which struggle to detect the increasingly common plastic landmines.

In 2019, Aranchuk's team developed the first laser vibration sensor capable of detecting buried objects from a moving vehicle. The new version of this technology employs a 34 x 23 laser matrix array, allowing the creation of a vibration map of the ground in less than a second.

Boyang Zhang, a co-researcher on the project, highlighted that traditional detection methods often suffer from false positives due to any metallic object being detected. By contrast, "LAMBDIS" combines laser and acoustic sensing, significantly reducing false positives and improving safety by keeping operators further from dangerous areas.

The detection mechanism in "LAMBDIS" creates ground vibrations and projects a two-dimensional laser grid onto the surface. The frequency of the reflected laser light changes, generating a vibration image where buried landmines appear as clear red spots.

Besides landmine detection, this technology offers potential applications in bridge and infrastructure inspections, non-destructive material testing in the automotive and aerospace industries, and biomedical applications.

The university is preparing to test "LAMBDIS" in diverse environments to validate its effectiveness in detecting various types of buried objects.