Geo-location of detected landmines via mobile robots equipped with multiple sensors

Abstract

In the process of landmine remediation, it is necessary to determine the ground coordinates of the mines. This is needed for data association in the case of multiple looks by a single sensor as well as in the case of multiple sensors. It is also required for neutralizing the mine or marking it for avoidance. Earlier the work in this area treated the use of a single radar sensor. This has now been extended to include multiple sensors, forward-looking radar and infrared. It treats the process of combining these measurements for optimal estimation of the mine's ground coordinates as well as tracking the status of each mine with respect to each sensor's field of view. Results of simulations show significant benefits achieved by the use of the multiple sensors.