Anyone who has visited rural parts of countries such as Bosnia and Cambodia has almost certainly seen the enduring negative effects that landmines have on individuals and communities.
As conflicts continue to burn around the globe, from Afghanistan to Syria, Somalia and many other places, it is likely that unmapped landmines will continue to pose a serious threat for many decades to come.
That is, unless people like those behind projects such as the Mine Kafon Drone have anything to do with it. This ambitious project has finally started to take off thanks to a funding campaign on Kickstarter which has already raised much more than the $77,000 it originally sought.
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This mine-clearing drone is touted to clear the world’s minefields within ten years of becoming operational – twenty times faster than current methods of mine clearance would allow, and at a cost of just one half of one percent of the cost. More importantly, if the Mine Kafon Drone works well, it will put an end to the dangers faced by human mine clearance operatives.
Massoud Hassani presenting the Mine Kafon drone to Queen Maxima at the Singularity U expo in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
Massoud Hassani presenting the Mine Kafon drone to Queen Maxima at the Singularity U expo in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
Six rotors enable the drone to carry the equipment it needs to locate mines and destroy them using explosive charges. The Kickstarter campaign funds the testing stage of this process, which involves using a camera to map the area and mark mines using GPS, before dropping charges which are detonated to destroy the mines.
Sponsors receive a postcard showing the land area which their money was used to clear of mines. A $17 contribution should enable the drone to clear an area of around 80,000 square feet of land. Larger contributions are acknowledged with tokens such as models of the drone, phone cases and the like.
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The principle benefit that contributors receive, however, is something less tangible, but more meaningful. By making a contribution which could lead to successful testing and the drone becoming operational, contributors are rewarded with the knowledge that they are directly helping to save lives and limbs around the world for generations to come.