A

Project Report

On

LANDMINE DETECTION ROBOT

Submitted to

OPJU

RAIGARH

By

Md. Faiz Kounain (EEE, 6th sem)

Nitesh Khuttel (EEE, 6th sem)

Shubham Singh (mec, 6th sem)

Under the Guidance of

1. L.R Bhandarkar (Assistant Professor)

2. Pradeep Singh Chauhan (Assistant Professor)

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 Session :2019 - 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter Titles Page No.

Chapter 1 Abstract 8

Introduction 9

Chapter 2 Review of Literature 23-28

Chapter 3 Methodology 29-54

Chapter 4 Working principle 55

Chapter 5 Result 56

Chapter 6 Conclusion 57

Chapter 7 Advantages & Disadvantages 58

Chapter 8 Future scope 59

Chapter 9 References 60

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The rest of the thesis has been organized into four chapters. Following is a brief
description of each chapter:

Chapter 2. Review of Related Work

This chapter deals with the survey on the methodologies adopted for the
present work. The chapter also presents brief analysis of the tools used
for the work

Chapter 3. Problem Identification and Solution Methodology

In this chapter of the thesis theoretical discussion on the present work
has been made thoroughly. Define the identified problem. After that
according to problem identification give the solution methodology. Give
the solution methodology according to applied method (using steps,
algorithm, mathematical preliminaries, derivations, block diagram, ER
diagrams……).

Chapter 4. Experimental Results and Discussions

This chapter deals with all the results and discussions obtained through
proposed method and solution methodology.

Chapter 5. Conclusions and Further Scope of the work

In this chapter conclusion of the present work has been pointed out and
the future scope of the work has been also spelt out.

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 ABSTRACT

The objective of this thesis is to develop detection robot to can solve socially
challenging issue of Landmine detection. Landmines which used to be a safety
measure during wars, play a dangerous role in civilian life, in and around the post
combat regions with approximately 78 countries observing an estimate of 42 human
lives killed every day. To prevent the number of casualties and manual mine
clearance, mobile robots can be used for detection of the mine field region.
Detection and avoidance are the primary challenges faced on a landmine removal.

The problem is the minefield itself: a large area where a large number of explosive
devices are randomly hidden. They cannot be spotted visually, since many are buried
or designed to be difficult to detect. Disarming them personally would be
extraordinarily hazardous, especially without knowing where the mines are buried.
Our solution is a wirelessly controlled robot capable of locating the mines and
marking them for future removal. The main goal is to keep humans out of danger,
and by remotely locating the mines, disposing of them becomes much easier. Even if
a mine is triggered during the marking process, the loss of a robot is a small price to
pay in comparison to that of a human life. However, it was still important to design a
robot that would not detonate any mines that were discovered. In order to further
enhance safety, it was also imperative that the mines be accurately marked and
users could operate the robot from a safe distance.

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 CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

Laying mines in a war field is a safety procedure in protecting against intruders or

enemies. Its purpose is simple – become a shield to slow down an invasion
temporarily, direct attackers to kill zones, otherwise obstruct the enemies from
defenseless areas. Mines are sensitive explosives with detonating systems which can
be triggered by pressure, movement, sound, magnetism and vibration. A bomb or
artillery shell blowup on approaching or hitting the target while a landmine lies
hidden for it to be activated by a person, animal or a vehicle’s proximity. They have
been characterized into anti-personnel and anti-tank mines with further addition of
anti-handling technology embedded into those mines. As the name suggests, anti-
tank mines were built with the sole purpose of destroying military tanks. Hence, they
are triggered by high pressure only; preventing them from exploding by small
vehicles or pedestrians. Anti-personnel mines were/are designed to kill or injure
soldiers so as to increase the opposition’s logistical support. But these mines can still
continue to maim and kill even after the fight is over. It is a small explosive device on
or under the ground ready to detonate by pressure of a person’s foot or person
handling or through trip wires. It is shocking to observe the sufferings caused by anti-
personnel mines. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, war
surgeons tagged them the worst injuries to be treated. On stepping on a blast anti-
personnel mine, the blast can often rip off the legs or else with debris of soil, metal,
plastic of mine casting, grass, shoes fragments, shattered bones piercing into the
body wounding deeply. On similar note, if the explosion takes while handling, then
the affected ligaments are fingers, hands, abdomen, spine, face and also might leave
the victims blind. The anti-personnel mine 2 can be of the types namely – blast,
fragmentation or bounding fragmentation. Fragmentation mines throw metal
fragments whereas the bounding fragmentation mines are more devastating
considering it jumps to a waist height and then explodes.

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1 Thus, the victims commonly suffer permanent disability, require multiple
operations, extensive rehabilitations and amputations which have social,
psychological and economic consequences. Not only this, but the destruction
causes the land to become dry and soil to be less fertile.

2 Analysis of the contribution of landmines to land degradation was conducted at

University of California, Berkeley, USA, it has been stated that movement of
topsoil, introduction to harmful heavy metals, rice in salt contents, decrease in
organic matter content and soil crusting necessarily contribute towards land
degradation [5]. It has been broadly characterized according to the below graph:

Access denial: Fear of landmine presence has led to denial in the ability to use the
resources available. Approximately 900 000 km2 area of land is unused due to
denied access.
Loss of Biodiversity: Mines have threatened various species to the edge of extinction.

Micro-relief disruption: Mines causes soil instability by breaking the soil structure
making it more prone to erosion.

Chemical contamination: Generally, the devices are composed of organic compounds

like Carbon, Nitrogen, Hydrogen, Oxygen, etc. Military explosives are combinations
of TNT (2, 4, 6 – trinitrotoluene), RDX (Hexogen), PETN (Nitropenta), HMX (Octogen)
along with other compounds, waxes, plasticizers, stabilizers, oil, etc. These

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compounds percolate into ground water and soil when the mines disintegrate. These
contaminants have consequences directly or indirectly to the water bodies, plants,
microorganisms, soil with drinking water, food products and air. These pollutants can
affect organs of fish, animals, plants and human beings which can act as a poison for
their growth.

Obviously, landmines contribute to loss in productivity adding an adverse effect on

the social and economic instability. The root problem is the landmines staying in the
ground peacefully and being a hindrance for normal activity. The United Nation Mine
Action Services that since 1960s more than 110 million mines have been spread
across the globe and posing a threat in more than 78 countries. Approximately
15,000 to 20,000 people lose their lives by being struck by landmines and countless
injured. Unarmed civilians are the primary victims of anti-personnel landmines;
commonly the children, women and the elderly.

To eliminate the threat of mines, the only possible solution is to remove them
individually without causing any damage. Anti-personnel mines costs around $3 -
$30 each but neutralizing them extends from $300 to $1000 per mine depending on
the mine infected area. And even with experts disposing the mines; it is observed
that for every 5000 mines extracted, one individual is killed and two injured by
accidental explosions. Accordingly, at the current pace and expert’s belief, for
removal of such a huge number of mines, more than 1000 years would be required
with no addition of mines. Blood transfusions, surgical care, fitting of orthopedic
appliances for these victims are in greater need than the other war casualties. An
effort towards saving human lives and restoring the normal social, environmental
and economic activity in these countries plays an important aspect for my thesis.

Existing Mine Clearing Methods

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Detecting the precise location of each individual mine is the first task in clearing the
landmines. Demining is a process involving surveys, mapping and minefield marking
and its actual removal from the ground.

Mine clearance strategies

The military process just clears their strategic pathways for the soldier’s movements
at war which is also known as breaching, whereas humanitarian mine clearance is a
social cause to restore peace and security at a community level. It is a challenging
task to clear out the land from landmines and unexploded ordnance which pose a
danger to humanity. Once the areas are verified for public safety, the civilians can
use the place without any fear or anxiety of weapons.

Hence the Humanitarian mine clearance phases are:

- Locating and identifying a mine field.

- Preparing the mine field for clearance operation

- Locating and marking individual mines within the identified area.

- Neutralizing the detected mines.

- Enforcing quality control measures.

According to the UN Mine Action Society, three main methods are operational for
demining:

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Manual Clearance: A trained individual with metal detectors find the mines and then
they are destroyed through controlled explosion. This is a procedure where the de-
miner first scans the ground with metal detector, and then uses probe to identify the
signaled object to carefully uncover it. Each alarm is carefully checked for its
understanding and removal. However, it’s observed that one in every 1000 signals
detected is a mine. It is a very slow process considering every forward movement
should be thoroughly examined before risking to step ahead. Additionally, since the
bullet casting and other metals might be detected using metal detectors, the false
indications further delay the procedure.

U.S. soldiers search for unexploded ordnance in Balad, Iraq

The worst thing is, even if we have less casualties with professional de-miners
clearing out the mine affected areas, their lives are still at stake.

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Mine detection by Animals: This refers to smell based approach in combination with
manual de-miners. Dogs can be 10,000 times more sensitive than man-made
detector. Trained dogs can detect the characteristic smell of explosive residue that
emanates from the mines. Dogs do not respond towards non-explosive objects
which eliminates the short comings of manual detection techniques. Terrain is not a
problem for mine detection dogs and screens the land five times faster than de-
miners. There are a few drawbacks to this method, such as dogs can be
overwhelmed in areas of high contamination, become confused, can only work for a
couple of hours and at times their effectiveness completely depends on level of
training and skill of handlers.

Mine detection dogs working in Vanni – National Mine Action Programme, Sri Lanka

The Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) are studying
the use of rodent for mine detection. Similar to dogs, African Pouched Rats can be
trained to detect explosive vapors [6] [7].There are further researches carried out
using rodents and can be cheapest form of landmine detector. Better sense of smell,
easy maintenance, transportation and resistant to tropical disease are some
advantages of using rats

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 A pouched rat works under the rope system

Mechanical Clearance: Armed bulldozers are run through the land to destroy the
mines and are terrain specific, expensive and not 100% reliable. Motorized machines
designed considering the demining requirements clear the mines in its path. These
machines (extensions of military vehicles or armored vehicles or similar types with
plows or flails) unearth the mines or explode them due to pressure. As mentioned
earlier these can be used on vast areas like agricultural fields and favorable terrains
with no dense vegetation. But in small areas and thick vegetation areas, they are
difficult to use and hence these systems tasks are reduced to maximum area
coverage with verification and field clearance.

This technique is fast but has drawbacks often not destroying all the mines, burying
the mines deeper, partly damaging making them vulnerable and sometimes pushing
them to the sides. However, these systems along with manual efforts will smoothen

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the procedure of mine removal by saving time and making it safer for de-miners to
concentrate on soft terrains, around trees and the residential areas.

Krohn Mechanical Mine Clearance System

Krohn, shown in Figure 1-6, has been found to be capable of destroying all mines on
almost any terrain freeing 30,000m2 of land per day. Its effectiveness is becoming
10,000 times larger than manual demining with no loss and injury, according to facts
certified by UN and the German government.

There are limited studies currently going on the effects of mine residues on the
environment. But assuming the heavy machinery, there are logistical problems
associated with transporting to remote areas in countries with little infrastructure
and limitations of mobility and maneuverability with wheeled vehicles requiring flat
terrain and tracked wheels unable to climb steep terrains. Obstacles and narrow
entrances also become a problem for huge machines and hence humanitarian de-
mining is now focusing in creating systems for any terrain and less logistical
problems.

In contrast to manual methods involving humans, this research is being conducted

for finding automated solutions for the demining process. Most commonly it is
focused on two major aspects:

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1) How to reduce the de-miner casualties by use of robots and

2) Improvement of mine sensing technologies for accurate detection.

Robots and Humanitarian Demining

For mine removal, cost is going to be a factor – be it a human or a robot. The

workers involved with de-mining will be thrilled to find out if the same job would be
done remotely by using robots without the life at stake. Considering the factor that
having a robot and a detector attached to it, the effectiveness should be balanced
similar to manual demining.

As discussed earlier, the mechanical clearance procedure had drawbacks which can
be solved by properly sized robotics solutions with suitable upgrades. This solution
should be adaptable to mine field conditions improving the safety of personnel along
with efficiency, productivity and flexibility. Solving this issue of saving worker from
hazardous area inherits new challenges in wide variety of fields. These include
robotic mechanics and mobility, sensor and sensor fusion, autonomous or semi-
autonomous navigation, and machine intelligence. Moreover, swarm robotics or a
team of robots might increase the productivity for mine removal process.

Various humanitarian projects around the world are trying to put resources towards
reliable robot platforms for demining. There are efforts on ground vehicles and air
borne robots which can be tele-operated, semi-autonomous or autonomous and
carry out operations of navigation, mine detection and mapping and its removal or
neutralization. These operations are carried out for fast and life unthreatening

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causes. The research includes getting the ground platforms to have mine avoidance
strategies. One concern in using robots, is its locomotion. Capability to handle varied
terrain.

These research options also face hindrance like designing of a universal robot for
different terrains or different environmental conditions along with quality trained
technicians to use the robot of high cost and sophisticated technology. Hence as an
alternative mine detection and mapping through robots and its study are driving the
researchers. If proven to be reliable then these can have mine removal equipment
which eliminates the need for in person removal of mines.

Landmine detection using single robot

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 Landmine detection using multiple robots

Mine Detection and Sensing Technologies

Demining steps cannot be carried out if location of mines are unknown. Thus, mine
detection, and in general, mine sensing technologies are a major step and currently a
slow process in demining. The target of technology progress is to increase the
probability of the detection with low probability of false alarms. Improvements are
targeted on sensor fusion and careful study of the limitations of the tools from each
location, environment and soil composition. The outcome of developing effective
detection is to speed up the detection rate, reliability, accuracy and efficient
distinguishing between explosives and other buried debris ensuring more safety of
the de-miners and the environment. Along with the development, testing is also
important to simulate the minefield conditions for real scenarios to validate the
latest technology for its reliability and limitations. The procedures of actual
operations in the mine field region help benchmarking the performance of the
equipment, systems and the algorithms leading to enhancements.

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Background

Robot technologies are being applied in the hazardous fields like disaster mitigation,
rescue operations, nuclear power plants, and in medical fields for support in surgical
operations, Nano-bots for cancer treatments, and so on. Minefields also are
dangerous and hence Humanitarian approach of de-mining landmines are more
concerned towards the robotic usage. The procedures dealt with manual clearance,
detection using animals and mechanical clearance are fruitful, however avoiding
casualties or devastating the area or animals getting more prone to harmful chemical
are now becoming more concerned due to the fact that there are still millions of
landmines laid which needs attention. The minefield is to be seen from two
perspectives: one aspect being the mapping of the mines, and the other the removal
of the mines.

This chapter discusses the remote sensing technologies currently being worked on
for improvements on mine detection. This technology can then be added on mobile
platforms for autonomous performance. Further describing few of the current
mobile platforms used in hazardous environments.

Electromagnetic Induction sensor – Metal Detector

This sensing technology is the oldest and the most efficient method used in mine
detection based on Electromagnetic Induction (EMI). The current passing through
the transmit coil induces a magnetic field in the ground inducing an electric current
in buried metal objects. Then the receiver coil gives an audio output on detection of
the secondary weaker magnetic field created by the current from metal objects. It’s
more prone to high false alerts having a negative effect on the speed, cost and life.
Often, demining teams uncover 100-1,000 inert metal objects for every mine. To
reduce the false alarms, there have been many studies carried on the EMI responses
in the minefield for incorporating statistical signal processing. This approach detects
and classifies, based on the independent components analysis data.

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Robots in Hazardous Environments
Mine rescue and recovery

Mining disasters have occurred in both coal and metal/non-metal mines and involve
mine rescue teams to carry out search and rescue operations in treacherous
environment. To keep the rescue team safe from the hazardous condition, robots
are used to assist in these underground for early reporting of the situation. In these
operations, the robots may be required to move the obstacles, manipulate fan
doors, and send back videos, mine gas, and temperature readings. Nominal search
and rescue, mine recovery and deployments are the main tasks of underground mine
rescue. First task involves inspection for human safety, second pertaining to the
state of the mine for saving it or re-opening it also including environment
manipulation by debris movement, opening doors or fans, etc. and thirdly the
deployment of the robots since it is a crucial and urgent task for rescue operations
for operations like these, tracked or wheeled crawlers supporting highest mobility,
snake robots overcome limitations of pipe crawlers and legged robots for multi-
terrain ability. Wheeled robots size can range from Groundhog robot from Carnegie
Mellon University (CMU) [20] to robots that can fit through pipes. And these robots
can navigate underground without having issues like the snake robots whose
locomotion cannot be guaranteed in these situations are considered for various
reasons like slope entry, reliable communication, manipulator arm for handling
doors or fans or remove rubbles, maneuver on rail lines or water prone areas.
Similarly for borehole and void entry robots which can directly start at the point of
interest and has to face challenges like lowering system entry, falling rocks,
transition from vertical mobility to the mine floor, debris, water and drilling foam
may restrict visibility, etc.

Research
The robotic landmine vehicle project entailed four stages of tasks before a
satisfactory finished product was achieved. These stages were research, design,
construction, and testing. The research and design stages were completed through

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this semester of work on the project. Research of minefields and the needs of
deminers was the first area researched, as this research aided in the decisions made
about specific details of the vehicle design. Some of these details were the vehicle
size, shape, and weight; type of materials used to build the vehicle; type of tires;
type and size of batteries; type of motors and motor controller; type of remote-
control system.

The design of the vehicle came from the research done of the many different
components of the vehicle. We decided exactly what parts and types of equipment
we wanted to use on the vehicle, we also developed a list of specifications for the
vehicle. These specifications list the precise capabilities needed in this type of
vehicle. The specifications were also based on the research done of both the
minefields and the parts being used on the vehicle.

The next step was the construction of the vehicle. This involved finishing the finding
and ordering of needed parts, and then putting them together by following the
vehicle design and specification. We ran into difficulties during the construction
phase due to problems associated with welding aluminum. Otherwise, construction
progressed smoothly. Once the vehicle was constructed we tested it. Test results
were compared to the following objectives:

1. To build a robotic vehicle that will benefit the mine removal process by being
adaptable for various uses in the minefield, such as mine detection, mine removal, or
brush clearing.
2. To construct this vehicle with the capability to withstand an average mine blast so
that only minor repairs are necessary.
3. To have battery power in the vehicle that can last for a running time of 45
minutes.
4. To limit the needed time to replace the batteries to 10 minutes.
5. To design the vehicle with the capability to climb a 10% incline.
6. To utilize remote control and video camera systems that can function at a distance
of 10 meters.

7. To limit the total weight of the vehicle to under 2000 grams.

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Thesis Goals and its Objectives

Goal of our team has made a seed feeder machine which will definitely help our
farmers to crop seed at specific distance very easily without any heavy mechanical
and electrical equipments and the wastage of costly seed can be minimized very
easily.

Review of Related Work

Literature / Existing System Survey

The problem of landmines is widespread and causes thousands of casualties each

year. As United States Ambassador to the United Nations Donald K. Steinberg said in
November 2000, “we owe the next generation of world citizens nothing less than the
right to walk the earth without fear" (UN 2000). A great deal of work still remains in
ridding the world of landmines. In fact, the “Landmine Monitor Report 2001” states
that there were 15,000 to 20,000 new casualties from landmines and Unexploded
Ordnance (UXO) in the year 2000 (ICBL). These casualties occurred in 73 different
countries. In total, ninety countries are affected by landmines and UXO (landmine
monitor). There is a definite need for technologies that will make demining safer,
faster or more cost effective than current methods. “To develop realistic techniques
and procedures that will truly enhance the process of mine clearance, two primary
factors must be considered: mines and the environment” (King). The mines
themselves can be difficult to detect, however the environment is the primary
concern for this project.

As for the environment, “the stereotypical image of a flat, grassy minefield is just as
harmful as that of the ‘non-metallic’ blast mine. Yet the ‘football pitch’ image is
constantly reinforced by the trials, demonstrations, and publicity shots that
invariably take place in near perfect conditions. Even ignoring the special
circumstances of Kuwait’s oil lakes, the Middle East’s drifting sand dunes,

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Afghanistan’s mountains, or the Falklands peat bogs, minefields are rarely simple.
Minefields are not harvested or grazed, and many lie in the sort of hot, wet
environment that promotes the rapid growth of foliage. Most of the world’s
minefields have been in place for years and many have become totally overgrown.
Not only does this create a physical access problem, but also the inability to spot
fragmentation mines and tripwires makes overgrown minefields particularly
dangerous. In some areas of Cambodia, over 70% of operational time is spent on the
clearance of undergrowth – at the expense of mine clearance. To complicate the
situation, the minefields of the real world are often uneven on the macro and micro
scales: rocks of all sizes create problems for the deminer, and even small stones can
make 6 probing almost impossible. Further, terrain with steep slopes and large
outcrops of rock, common in Afghanistan and the Falklands, simply make the use of
most vehicle-borne systems impractical.

Not surprisingly, mines are often found in and around battlefields, where the
ground has been contaminated with the scrap of war. At best, there will be large
quantities of metal present: one shell can produce thousands of steel fragments, and
each splinter will be large enough to dwarf the signature from a minimum-metal
mine. At worst, they may be cratered, strewn with barbed wire and guidance wires
from missiles, and littered with UXO. (King).

With the characteristics of landmines and the environment in mind, it is possibly to

begin to address the technology needs of humanitarian deminers. “A technology
needed by deminers is one which would measurably improve either safety, quality or
cost-effectiveness without compromising the others if it were available in the form
of equipment or other means. This includes technologies which are known, and
possibly available for purchase now, and those which need further research and or
development” (Trevelyan). Deminers have expressed the need for mechanization.
“Deminers need mine-resistant vegetation cutting machinery, and other multi-
purpose machinery which can be adapted for demining and other construction tasks
as required. They prefer versatile machines to special purpose machines. Much of
this machinery is currently available from commercial suppliers, with some (mostly
minor) modifications. Further, magnets can reduce later work by manual deminers

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by collecting surface metal fragmentation. Significant cost reductions and production
rate improvements are achievable with more mechanization" (Trevelyan).

Currently, robots are not in widespread use in demining operations. However,

several interesting demining robot designs have been built and field tested. One of
the most promising designs is Tempest, developed by the Humanitarian Demining
Technology Development Programme. Another interesting demining robot is the
Pemex-BE, which is small enough to fit in a backpack when disassembled. Also, a
small, lightweight, 4 wheeled robot under development is the Fetch II by iRobot
Corporation. In addition to Fetch II, iRobot Corporation has developed a tracked
robot known as Packbot, which could be adapted for use in minefields. The final
group of robots suitable for demining use is explosive ordnance disposal robots such
as the Engineering Services Incorporated MR-1E and MR-5, which are commonly
used by bomb squads in developed countries. 7 “Tempest is tailored specifically to
meet the needs of post conflict mine-clearance in less developed countries. It is
designed to clear vegetation and trip-wires as a precursor to accelerated manual
clearance. It has a relatively low purchase cost, is easy to operate and transport, and
cheap to run. Sustainability is a priority in its design, and wherever possible
components have been chosen which can be found or manufactured in the mine
affected region. Tempest is suitable for maintenance and repair by indigenous users”
(Gehring).

The first Tempest has completed testing in the UK, including blast testing of
components by the Royal Engineers, with very positive results. “The Tempest remote
controlled vehicle can support a variety of interchangeable clearance heads.
Presently, a horizontal axis chain flail is in use and other attachments such as vertical
axis trimming heads and rakes are envisioned. Tempest has a 2200 Kg working
weight, is 1.4m wide, 1.4m tall and 3.5m long (2m vehicle & 1.5m arm). It is capable
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of clearing 200m of 500mm tall, thick green grass per hour. Tempest can also cut a
100 mm tree in 3-4 minutes. Presently, Tempest has a 1.2m cutting width.
Importantly, Tempest can survive an AP blast without interruption to operation.
Minimal damage can be repaired in a few minutes with a welding kit. In the event of
an AT blast, the wheel station is blown clear, while components are protected inside

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the vee-hull. Also, Tempest is protected against fragmentation in all directions”
(Gehring). No information about the turning radius, or type and difficult of terrain
Tempest can operate in are specified.

The Pemex-BE is a lightweight, two-wheeled robot for searching AP mines. It weighs

less than 16 Kg and can be dismantled to fit in a backpack. It is battery powered and
can run for over 30 minutes. Also, it has a top speed of 6 km/hr. Pemex-BE can
operate by hardwired remote control, or autonomously.

When operating autonomously, Pemex-BE avoids large obstacles (50 cm

barrels) and can operate in terrain with holes and ruts that are less than 10 cm deep.
In autonomous mode, a metal detector flashes a light when a buried metallic object
is found. While moving forward, the Pemex-BE scans a 1.2m wide lane. However,
obstacles or incorrect navigation can leave behind unscanned areas.

Pemex-BE has the ability to climb steep slopes (approaching 20 – 30 degrees)

that are made of hard soil, concrete or small stones. Its climbing ability is enhanced
by the addition of climbing “cleats.” The Pemex-BE can also be fitted with foam
floats that allow it to operate on water. The effectiveness of its sensors in water is
not known. The Pemex-BE uses two Maxon 8 70 Watt high-efficiency motors with
50:1 torque reducers. An additional 2.5:1 torque reduction is provided by the gears
and bicycle chain driving the wheels.” Onboard control electronics give the Pemex-
BE the ability to operate autonomously. The control electronics consist of two 68331
microprocessors, communicating via a serial line. Eight piezo Polaroid distance
sensors and eight PSD distance sensors are used to detect obstacles. The Pemex-BE
metal detector is used to detect buried metal at a distance of 5cm. The purpose of
the current metal detector is, “to test and demonstrate the basic problem that the
robot is intended to solve” (Mächler).

The Fetch II by iRobot Corporation is “a new approach to the counter mine

problem.” It is envisioned that “a team of low cost Fetch II robotic mine hunters will
provide rapid and complete coverage of a mine field.” In the second phase of Fetch
II’s development, “this swarm of robots will be capable of cooperatively clearing a
field of landmines under the supervision of a single operator. The Fetch II robots

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feature advanced computational and mechanical components, yet are designed for
low cost duplication. The Fetch II robots perform most of their tasks autonomously.
Each Fetch II contains behavior based intelligence which enables it to navigate
through real world terrain autonomously, using a relative coordinate system and
task specific sensors mounted on a robust four wheeled mobility platform. The
ultimate field capable system will enable an explosive ordnance disposal technician
to clear a large area of unexploded munitions without personal risk” (Fetch II).

The Packbot by iRobot Corporation is designed as “a robust robot to aid in

reconnaissance operations in urban terrain.” Currently, the prototype Packbot is
being developed with funding from DARPA. “Packbot is designed for durability and
versatility, featuring robust systems and onboard data processing capabilities that
will enable rapid response to a dynamic, urban environment. Its portable size and
ability to endure adverse conditions will make it ideal for venturing into areas that
are hazardous or inaccessible to humans.” Further, “Packbot’s patented mechanisms
are designed to give it complete freedom of movement in indoor or outdoor
environments. Its self-righting mobility platform is equipped with tracked “flippers”
that allow the robot to climb hills and stairs. Packbot is housed in an aluminum shell,
which offers exceptional durability; the prototype is designed to survive a 3m drop
onto concrete, and has survived multiple launches from a second story window. The
next phase of the DARPA contract will develop payloads, sensors, and behaviors to
extend the systems autonomy. Packbot’s responses to environmental stimuli will be
enabled by sensors: cameras, microphones, 9 sonar, infrared sensors, inclinometers,
laser sensors, and micro-impulse radar, each specifically tailored to the unique
system architecture. Sensors customized to specific missions may also be integrated
into the system” (Packbot).

Engineering Services Incorporated (ESI) has developed two advanced and versatile
robots, the MR-5 and MR-1E, for use by emergency personnel and ordnance disposal
teams. These two robots are remote controlled and feature 6 wheeled chassis with a
highly maneuverable robotic arm. This robotic arm can be fitted with various
modules such as “extension links, grippers, cameras, and disrupter mounts” (MR-1E).

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The MR-5 is .68 x 1.27 x .8 m (w x l x h) and weighs 250 kg. The MR-5 can reach
speeds of .8 m/s. The all wheel drive system gives the MR-5 impressive mobility. It
0 0
can climb 35 slopes, execute a 360 turn in a 1.5m wide space and handle curbs,
ditches and other obstacles (MR-5).

The MR-1E has dimensions of .7 x 1.14 x 1.25 m (w x l x h) and weighs 252 kg. The
0 0
MR-1E can reach speeds of 1.0 m/s, climb 40 slopes, execute a 360 turn in a 1.5m
space and also handle curbs, ditches and other obstacles (MR-1E).

Clearly, robotic vehicles have the ability to aid in demining activities. However,
deminers have been reluctant to use heavy, expensive, complex robots that require
large amounts of money to maintain and operate. The development of Fetch II and
Packbot is a good model to follow, where a small, lightweight “mobility platform” is
developed first and “modules” are designed and added later to address specific
needs. One aspect of robot design that was only incorporated into the Tempest
system is blast protection from AP mines. Limiting damage to expensive robotic
systems should be a priority of robot designers. Also, mobility is an extremely
important factor in real world robot usefulness.

24
MIT APP INVENTOR:
App Inventor lets you develop applications for Android phones using a web browser
and either a connected
phone or an on-screen phone emulator. The MIT App Inventor servers store your
work and help you keep track
of your projects.

Building apps by working with:

• The App Inventor Designer, where you select the components for your app.
• The App Inventor Blocks Editor, where you assemble program blocks that specify
how the
components should behave. You assemble programs visually, fitting pieces together
like pieces of a puzzle.
App appears on the phone step-by-step as you add pieces to it, so you can test your
work as build. If you don't have an Android phone, building apps using the Android
emulator, software that runs on computer and behaves just like the phone.

The App Inventor development environment is supported for Mac OS X, GNU/Linux,

and Windows
operating systems, and several popular Android phone models. Applications created
with App
Inventor can be installed on any Android phone.

25
App Inventor is simple to use, but also very powerful. Apps you build can even store
data created by users in a database, so you can create a make-a-quiz app in which
the teachers can save questions in a quiz for their students to answer.
Because App Inventor provides access to a GPS-location sensor, building apps
that know where you are. Building an app to help remembering where you
parked your car, an app that shows the location of your friends or colleagues at a
concert or conference, or your own custom tour app of your school, workplace, or a
museum.
Write apps that use the phone features of an Android phone. Write
an app that periodically texts "missing you" to your loved ones, or an app "No Text
While Driving" that responds to all texts automatically with "sorry, I'm driving and
will contact you later". You can even have the app read the incoming texts aloud to
you (though this might lure you into responding).
App Inventor provides a way for you to communicate with the web. If you know how
to write web apps, you can use App Inventor to write Android apps that talk to your
favorite web sites, such as Amazon and Twitter.

Understanding App Inventor Programming

Event Handlers
App Inventor programs describe how the phone should respond to certain events: a
button has
been pressed, the phone is being shaken, the user is dragging her finger over a
canvas, etc. This
is specified by event handler blocks, which used the word when. E.g., when
Button1.Click and when AccelerometerSensor1.Shaking in HelloPurr

Most event handlers are in green color and stored at the top part of each drawer.
Here are the
example of event handlers.

26
When an event occurs on a phone, the corresponding event handler is said to fire,
which means it
is executed.
Commands and Expressions
When an event handler fires, it executes a sequence of commands in its body. A
command is a
block that specifies an action to be performed on the phone (e.g., playing sounds).
Most
command blocks are in purple or blue color.

27
Some commands require one or more input values (also known as parameters or
arguments) to
completely specify their action. For example, call Sound1.Vibrate needs to know the
number of
milliseconds to vibrate, set Label1.BackgroundColor needs to know the new
background color of
the label, and set Label1.text needs to know the new text string for the label. The
need for input
values is shown by sockets on the right edge of the command.
These sockets can be filled with expressions, blocks that denote a value. Expression
blocks have
leftward-pointing plugs that you can imagine transmit the value to the socket. Larger
expressions can be built out of simpler ones by horizontal composition. E.g., all of
the following
expressions denote the number 500:

Commands are shaped so that they naturally compose vertically into a command
stack, which is
just one big command built out of smaller ones. Here's a stack with four commands:

28
When this stack of commands are placed in a body of an event handler (e.g., the
when.Button1.Click event handler), the command will be executed from the top to
the bottom. If
the stack of command above is executed, then the phone will first play the sound,
then vibrate,
then change the label's color to be green, and then label will show the text "CS117
rocks!"
However, the execution works very fast: you would see all the actions happen at the
same time.
Control Flow
When an event handler fires, you can imagine that it creates a karaoke-like control
dot that flows
through the command stack in its body. The control dot moves from the top of the
stack to the
bottom, and when it reaches a command, that command is executed -- i.e, the action
of that
command is performed. Thinking about control "flowing" through a program will
help us
understand its behavior.
The order of the commands, or the control flow is important when you make an app.
You need to
make sure which action should come first.

Arranging Components on the Screen

App components are organized vertically by default. In the Designer palette, create
a Screen Arrangement>HorizontalArrangement component to organize the three
buttons
of LabelSize horizontally. (VerticalArrangement and TableArrangement can also be
used to control

29
positioning.) Warning: the Designer window Viewer is only an approximation of how
the
components will look on the phone.
Manipulating Component State
Every component is characterized by various properties. What are some properties
of
a Label component?
The current values of these properties are the state of the component. You can
specify the initial
state of a component in the Properties pane of the Designer window.
App Inventor programs can get and set most component properties via blocks. E.g.,
here are
blocks for manipulating the state of Label1.

7
Getter blocks
Setter blocks
Getter blocks are expressions that get the current value of the property. Setter
blocks are
commands that change the value associated with the property.
Some Label properties cannot be manipulated by blocks. Which ones?
As an example of manipulating Label properties, open the LabelSize program, which
has 4 event
handlers. What do these do?

Predict what happens if we change the when TallerButton.Click handler as follows:

30
Modification 1:

Modification 2:

Modification 3:

Other Button Events

Other button events are when LongClick, when GotFocus, and when LostFocus.
Experiment with
these by creating the following handlers:

31
Note: many components get focus when touched, and lose it when the touch is
removed. But
buttons are special, because touching them fires the Click event. However, they can
get/lose
focus through the G1 track ball or IDEOS navigator.
Renaming Components
Programs can be easier to read if you change the default name of components.
E.g., NarrowerButton is more meaningful than Button2. In the Components pane of
the Designer
window, use the Rename button to rename Label1to MyLabel. What happens in the
Blocks Editor
to blocks that used to mention Label1?
The TextBox Component
Many apps expect users to enter input like numbers or text strings. The TextBox
component is
used for this purpose.
Let's add two text boxes to the LabelSize program:
• The first one should specify the amount by which the label should become
wider/narrower.
• The second one should specify a string to be concatenated with the current label.
(Use the join
operator for this.)
Note: Sometimes it is useful to have text strings with multiple lines. In a string, the
notation \n stands for the newline character. For example, the text string
one\ntwo\nthree has
three lines.
The Canvas Component

32
In PaintPot, you met a new component, Canvas, that is used for drawing and
animation.
Upload CanvasTest2.zip (attached at the bottom of this page:
https://sites.google.com/site/wellesleycs117fall11/lecture-notes/lecture-04-
animationcomponents)
to create the CanvasTest2 app.
10
This app illustrates the two kinds of event handlers for canvases. The first is the
when
Touched handler:

Notes:
Canvas1.DrawCircle draws a filled-in circle in the current paint color of the canvas
(which is set to
red by set Canvas1.PaintColor).
The first two arguments of Canvas1.DrawCircle (annotated x and y) are the x and y
coordinates of
the upper left corner of the square enclosing the circle. X coordinates grow from 0
(left edge)
rightward. Y coordinates grow from 0 (top edge) downward. Coordinates are
measure in pixels.
Get a sense for the coordinate system by touching the canvas in different spots and
observing the
x and y coordinates that are reported above the canvas in the CanvasTest2 app.

33
The last argument of Canvas1.DrawCircle (annotated r) is the radius of the
circle. Although RadiusLabel is technically a text string, App Inventor automatically
treats any
string of digits as a number.
The three occurrences of each of x and y have different meanings:
• The annotation x to the left of the socket is a hint for the kind of entity that will fill
the socket.
• name x is a formal parameter that names the x-coordinate where the canvas was
touched. It is
created automatically along with the event handler block.
• value x is a variable reference expression that stands for the value of the x-
coordinate. It is
created from the My Definitions drawer in My Blocks.
App Inventor makes this much more confusing than it has to be. Here's what you
have to know:
• formal parameters like name x can only appear in annotated slots at the top of
event handlers
and procedures. They cannot be used as general expression blocks! In fact, if you try
to
use one as an expression, App Inventor will complain with a pop-up error window
(try it
and see).
• variable reference expressions like value x can be used as general expression
blocks, and can be used whereever a value is expected inside the body of the event
handler or procedure
in which it was defined. However, any attempt to use this value block in a different
event
handler will result in marking the block with a yellow exclamation point, indicating
an
error (try it and see).
• Renaming a name block automatically renames all associated value blocks,
demonstrating the
connection between them.
The second handler is the when Dragged handler:

34
Notes:
The LineWidth property controls the width of the drawn line. The PaintPot program
in the book
has a bug (program error): it fails to set LineWidth when drawing the line.
Each segment of a line is drawn as a rectangle whose thickness is LineWidth. For
thick lines, there
can be unaesthetic gaps between adjacent line segments.
To understand the distinction between prevX/prevY and startX/startY, replace the
former by the
latter in Canvas1.DrawLine.
In CanvasTest2, the circle radius and line width are specified by the contents of
RadiusLabel. This
12
value can be changed by the minus and plus buttons:

35
Global Variables
In many programs, there is no app component property that remembers a piece of
state
information that we need in the program.
For example, suppose we remove the RadiusLabel component from CanvasTest.
Where can we
store the current line width?
Well, in this case, we could store it in the LineWidth property of the canvas. But let's
disallow that
for the time being. Another option is to store it in a global variable. This is just a
named slot in
the program whose value can change over time.
Here we use a global variable named radius to remember the current value of the
radius:

36
Of course, we also need to change every RadiusLabel.Text expression in the Canvas1
event
handlers to instead refer to the current value in the global variable:

The state of global variables is normally "hidden" within an application. But you can
show the
13
current value in a global variable within the BlocksEditor window by right-clicking
(Control-clicking
on a Mac) on a global variable block and selecting Watch.
Rather than using RadiusLabel or the global variable radius, a third possibility is to
use the
LineWidth property of Canvas1. How would we change the CanvasTest2 program to
do this?
Clocks and Timer Events
Begin by uploading the TimerTest app attached at the bottom of these notes.
The Clock component has a timer feature that can perform actions at a specified
rate. When a
Clock's TimerEnabled property is set to true, its when ... Timer event will fire every
TimerInterval
milliseconds.

37
For example, in TimerTest, clicking the BellButton enables the BellClock's timer, and
that timer
plays a sound and vibrates the phone. The TimerInterval in this case is controlled by
the value
(1000 milliseconds = 1 second) specified in the Properties pane fo the BellClock.

The timer can be disabled by setting the TimerEnabled property to false. In

TimerTest, the
StopButton disables all timers:

Balls, Sprites, and Simple Animations

38
A sprite is an creature that can move around the canvas in which it lives. In App
Inventor, a ball is
a simple sprite that appears as a circle.
14
We can get the effect of an inflating red balloon by having a red ball whose radius
grows every
time an associated timer fires:

We can specify that the balloon "pops" when it hits the edge of the canvas by
resetting it to its
initial radius.

We can add a bird sprite that "flies" from the lower left to upper right corner of the
canvas. Here
are the blocks that specify the flight:

39
When the bird hits an edge, we reset it to its initial position:

Every sprite (including balls) come equipped with their own internal timer and
properties that
control their speed and heading. Once we've specified the speed and heading of the
yellow
BouncingBall in TimerTest, here are the only blocks we need to turn it on and make it
bounce:
DRAFT 7/

40
COMPONENTS REQUIRED

Description of Hardware and Software

This chapter discusses the hardware and software framework used for the thesis. It
is related to the robot incorporating the algorithms used in ARDUINO, C++ for mine
localization, classification between metal signals and mine signals and the potential
field technique on moving the robot towards goal points by having a repulsive force
from the mine and the obstacle.

The mission is the application of robotics and automation technologies towards the
benefit of the humanity and increasing the quality of life. This challenge had the
social cause of attempting to solve the Landmine problems as described in section.

3.1.1 ARDUINO

Arduino is an open-source physical computing platform based on a simple

microcontroller board, and a development environment for writing software for the
board in much easier way or Arduino is an open-source project that
created microcontroller-based kits for building digital devices and interactive objects
that can sense and control physical devices.

The project is based on microcontroller board designs, produced by several vendors,

using various microcontrollers. These systems provide sets of digital and
analog input/output (I/O) pins that can interface to various expansion boards
(termed shields) and other circuits. The boards feature serial communication
interfaces, including Universal Serial Bus (USB) on some models, for loading
programs from personal computers. For programming the microcontrollers, the
Arduino project provides an integrated development environment (IDE) based on a
programming language named Processing, which also supports the
languages Cand C++.

The first Arduino was introduced in 2005, aiming to provide a low cost, easy way for
novices and professionals to create devices that interact with their environment

41
using sensors and actuators. Common examples of such devices intended for
beginner hobbyists include simple robots, thermostats, and motion detectors.

Arduino boards are available commercially in preassembled form, or as do-it-

yourself kits. The hardware design specifications are openly available, allowing the
Arduino boards to be produced by anyone. Adafruit Industries estimated in mid-
2011 that over 300,000 official Arduinos had been commercially produced, and in
2013 that 700,000 official boards were in users' hands.

3.1.2 Software Description:

The Arduino project provides the Arduino integrated development

environment (IDE), which is a cross-platform application written in the programming
language Java. It originated from the IDE for the languages Processing and Wiring. It
is designed to introduce programming to artists and other newcomers unfamiliar
with software development. It includes a code editor with features such assyntax
highlighting, brace matching, and automatic indentation, and provides simple one-
click mechanism to compile and load programs to an Arduino board. A program
written with the IDE for Arduino is called a "sketch".

The Arduino IDE supports the languages C and C++ using special rules to organize
code. The Arduino IDE supplies a software library called Wiring from the Wiring
project, which provides many common input and output procedures. A typical
Arduino C/C++ sketch consist of two functions that are compiled and linked with a
program stub main() into an executable cyclic executive program:

 setup(): a function that runs once at the start of a program and that can initialize
settings.
 loop(): a function called repeatedly until the board powers off.

After compiling and linking with the GNU toolchain, also included with the IDE
distribution, the Arduino IDE employs the program to convert the executable code
into a text file in hexadecimal coding that is loaded into the Arduino board by a
loader program in the board's firmware..

42
 Arduino IDE

Other IDE:

Arduino programs may be written in any programming language with a compiler that
produces binary machine code. Atmel provides a development environment for their
microcontrollers, AVR Studio and the newer Atmel Studio, which can be used for
programming Arduino.[16][17]

Arduino can be controlled using C/C++ interpreter Ch without the binary code. Two
textbooks “Learning Arduino with Ch Programming for the Absolute Beginner” and
“Learning Arduino with C Programming” are freely available

43
COMPONENTS PRESENT IN ARDUINO:

Microcontroller(Atmega 328):

The ATmega328 is a single-chip microcontroller created by Atmel in the megaAVR family.

SPECIFICATIONS

The Atmel 8-bit AVR RISC-based microcontroller combines 32 kB ISP flash memory
with read-while-write capabilities, 1 kB EEPROM, 2 kB SRAM, 23 general purpose I/O
lines, 32 general purpose working registers, three flexible timer/counters with
compare modes, internal and external interrupts, serial programmable USART, a
byte-oriented 2-wire serial interface, SPI serial port, 6-channel 10-bit A/D
converter (8-channels in TQFP and QFN/MLF packages), programmable watchdog
timer with internal oscillator, and five software selectable power saving modes. The
device operates between 1.8-5.5 volts. The device achieves throughput approaching
1 MIPS per MHz.

44
Key parameter
HC-05 Bluetooth module

Since latest computers and laptops don’t come with serial ports. Because the popularity
of the USB. So we are using USB to serial converter. That makes our project ultra-
portable. A typical USB to serial converter creates a comport on the computer or laptop
and connects that comport to the external world.

HC-05 Bluetooth module

Reset button:

Arduino developers to implement an "hard reset" button to delete user programs

from the Atmega memory in case there are some issues that can freeze Arduino into
code loops when using serial port to communicate with the PC.

It is well known that when Arduino uses the serial port, it is rather impossible to
upload new code to the Arduino because both the Arduino and PC use the same
pins.

The actual reset button is only a "restart" button. With the "hard reset" anyone
could clear the memory leaving only the bootloader in it.

45
Voltage Regulator:

DC to DC converters are used to efficiently convert DC voltages. They have a

conversion efficiency of up to 95% making them useful for LED strips, bike lights,
battery chargers and solar powered devices. A voltage converter requires a PWM
source such as a microcontroller. Although you could use specialty ICs I used the
Arduino because it is commonly used on Instructables and six converter outputs
are possible. You can write your own code to the Arduino as well. In this
Instructable I will show you how to use the Arduino-based boost (step-up), buck
(step-down) and buck-boost (step-up or step-down) converters.

46
Sensor

Metal Detector:

A metal detector is an electronic instrument which detects the presence of metal

nearby. Metal detectors are useful for finding metal inclusions hidden within
objects, or metal objects buried underground. They often consist of a handheld unit
with a sensor probe which can be swept over the ground or other objects

Metal Detector

47
Zero PCB Designing

The designing of hardware is done as described below:

1 P.C.B. Layout

The entire circuit can be easily assembled on a general purpose P.C.B. board
respectively. Layout of desired diagram and preparation is first and most
important operation in any printed circuit board manufacturing process. First
of all layout of component side is to be made in accordance with available
components dimensions.

The following points are to be observed while forming the layout of P.C.B.

 Between two components, sufficient space should be maintained.

 High voltage/max dissipated components should be mounted at

sufficient distance from semiconductor and electrolytic
capacitors.

 The most important points are that the components layout is

making proper compromise with copper side circuit layout.

Printed circuit board (P.C.B.s) is used to avoid most of all the disadvantages of
conventional breadboard. These also avoid the use of thin wires for connecting
the components; they are small in size and efficient in performance.

2. Preparing circuit layout

First of all the actual size circuit layout is to be drawn on the copper side of the
copper clad board. Then enamel paint is applied on the tracks of connection
with the help of a shade brush. We have to apply the paints surrounding the

48
point at which the connection is to be made. It avoids the disconnection
between the leg of the component and circuit track. After completion of
painting work, it is allowed to dry.

3. Drilling

After completion of painting work, holes 1/23inch(1mm) diameter are

drilled at desired points where we have to fix the components.

5. Soldering

Soldering is the process of joining two metallic conductor the joint where two
metal conductors are to be join or fused is heated with a device called
soldering iron and then as allow of tin and lead called solder is applied which
melts and converse the joint. The solder cools and solidifies quickly to ensure is
good and durable connection between the jointed metal converting the joint
solder also present oxidation.

6. Soldering and disordering techniques:

These are basically two soldering techniques.

 Manual soldering with iron.

 Mass soldering.
7. Soldering with iron

The surface to be soldered must be cleaned & fluxed. The soldering iron
switched on and bellowed to attain soldering temperature. The solder in form
of wire is allied hear the component to be soldered and heated with iron. The
surface to be soldered is filled, iron is removed and joint is cold without
disturbing.

8. Solder joint are supposed to

49
 Provide permanent low resistance path.

 Make a robust mechanical link between P.C.B. and leads of components.

 Allow heat flow between component, joining elements and P.C.B.

 Retain adequate strength with temperature variation.

 The following precaution should be taken while soldering:

 Use always an iron plated copper core tip for soldering iron.

 Slightly for the tip with a cut file when it is cold.

 Use a wet sponge to wipe out dirt from the tip before soldering
instead of asking the iron.

 Tighten the tip screw if necessary before iron is connected to power supply.

 Clean component lead and copper pad before soldering.

 Apply solder between component leads, P.C.B. pattern and tip of soldering
iron.

 Iron should be kept in contact with the joint for 2-3 seconds only
instead of keeping for very long or very small time.

50
 WORKING PRINCIPLE

The main goal of the robot is to remotely locate and mark landmines. To accomplish this, the
robot must preform three essential tasks: move remotely, detect mines, and mark them.
Firstly, for movement the robot requires a board that takes user input through joysticks, a
method of sending the information to the robot and receive information from the robot, and
a board capable of receiving information from the remote and sending back information.
Therefore, two antennas are needed and a method of encoding information so it can be sent
between them. Finally, the board must be able to control multiple motors to execute the
instructions from the remote.
The detection system must accurately locate landmines. The detectors will generate a
magnetic field and monitor changes in it to observe the location of metal. Then, the detector
must send a signal to the main microcontroller to indicate the presence of metal. To send
information to the user, the presence of metal must encoded into bits to be send over the
wireless connection, and displayed on the remote control through an indicator. The marking
system must display a permanent and highly visible mark on the ground indicating the
location of a mine. This must not be a destructive of forceful action, as that would risk
detonating the mine. Furthermore, it must be activated by the remote control, so a signal to
fire must be sent over the wireless connection and be processed by the main robot board.

51
 RESULT
The design, while meeting most of our expectations, did not meet all of them. The
electronics and wireless system, which posed the majority of the challenges we needed to
overcome, were implemented successfully. The motor system functioned the majority of the
time; the robot was mobile and met design requirements. However, we were unable to
determine why the hardware would stop working when if the robot accelerated too fast.
The other disappointment was the marking system. While the mechanical aspects were
functional, it could not be operated from our main board. We believe, though are not
certain, that the battery pack could not supply sufficient current. Although we did not meet
all of our requirements, the problems were relatively minor, especially considering the
complexity of our system
and what we needed to do to complete what we did.

52
 ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

Advantages:
 The overall demining process has no risks to a human
operator with using very small and light sensors.
 Trooper can operate the robot from a safe distance.
 Using the coverage algorithm technique, the robot explicitly
passes over all points in the minefield at least once.

Disadvantages:
 The more obstacles are in the field; the longer time the
overall process takes.
 So Using fails to clean the field from obstacles before
demining is a critical step.
 Using many robots with the same design, which work
together in parallel way solved the time problem.

53
 CONCLUSION

The problem presented by landmine detection is a serious issue which requires a

sophisticated system to properly be properly addressed. While our system is able to
be improved in several aspects in order to completely satisfy as a solution to
landmine detection and marking, it offers a prototype which demonstrates at a basic
level the features which a commercial solution would use. Our system is wirelessly
controlled by a remoter board which can be operated out to a safe distance of 10m.
With this wireless control the robot is able to scan the minefield and identify to the
operator the location of landmines by transmitting the signals of metal detectors
mounted on to the robot to the remote and using them to light up landmine
identifying LEDs. Our system lacked the budget and sophistication to demonstrate a
robot which could selectively scan for landmines among other metallic objects or
which could traverse any terrain in which landmines might be present; however, we
were able to
demonstrate a system which was able to traverse natural terrain similar to what
might be present in a field and which could identify underlying metallic objects, the
use of more high end metal detectors would allow for a more extensive and selective
detecting of landmines. Overall, however, we were able to demonstrate the
functioning of a prototype system which shows a potential solution for addressing a
serious issue which effects people in countries the world over.

54
 FUTURE SCOPE

The robot would be even more effective if it did not require constant supervision
and instruction from an operator, which would be accomplished through the
addition of an autonomous mode. This would be difficult since the microcontroller
would have to be able to independently sense it’s environment and position itself
over a detected mine in order to mark it. Another future addition would be a digital
copy of the locations of the mines, creating a map for future reference. This would
require significant programming to accurately track the relative location of the robot
and the location of the mines.
 Using one expensive metal detector sensor that will be better
 to increase detection distance underground more than 60 cm.
 Test the robot in real mines field
 Using crawler robot will be better than wheels robots in
 demining process.
 Testing the robot in real environments.

55
 REFERENCES

 Ismail, M. Elmogy, H. ElBakry, " Landmines Detection Using

Autonomous Robots: A Survey", International Journal of
Emerging Trends & Technology in Computer Science (IJETTCS),
Volume 3, Issue 4, 4, July-August 2014.
 Ismail, M. Elmogy, H. ElBakry, "Landmines Detection Using Low-
Cost Multisensory Mobile Robot", Journal of Convergence
Information Technology, Volume 3, Issue 4, 2015.

56