"Minerec" a development platform for anti-personnel mine detection and recognition

The development platform described in this paper is currently being implemented to provide the environment for the performance testing of key mine detection algorithms during the first half of 1999. The ability of radar to detect plastic anti-personnel mines has long been demonstrated; the operational requirement is for robust reliable productive systems that achieve the demanded 99.6% detection rate with a low false alarm rate. Recognition procedures are the key in realising that performance, but have always required excessive computational resources for effective real time operation. For the first time this project provides the flexible processing environment required and allows the operational demands of real systems to be assessed. The evaluations will allow the specification of deployable systems to be investigated and subsequently implemented. Initially this is likely to be carried out for hand held systems, but the approach also allows the most extensive vehicle mounted systems to be addressed.