Novel Methods of Detecting Buried Explosive Devices

Several novel methods of detecting landmines and other buried explosive devices have been proposed and are subjects of continuing research. The use of trained dogs has been shown to be an effective method of detecting landmines, but the use of dogs is costly and can present enormous logistical problems. The objectives of the present research include, variously, supplanting the use of dogs; providing probabilities of detection sufficiently high for humanitarian purposes; enabling safe, rapid detection at low false-alarm rates as needed for military operations; and/or minimizing costs sufficiently to enable widespread application.