MULTI-SENSOR TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE DETECTION OF EXPLOSIVE OBJECTS IN MINING USING UAV SWARMS

Abstract

The problem of contamination of the territory in Ukraine as a result of Russia's aggression with explosive objects (explosive objects), in particular mines, is urgent and critically important for the safety of citizens and the further development of the country. The scale of this problem is defined as "large but unknown", which requires immediate action to reduce the threat and minimize the risks. The motivation for research and development of effective demining strategies is not only the preservation of life and health of residents, but also the creation of a safe environment for the economic and social development of the country. Ensuring the security of infrastructure, land resources and opportunities for free movement of the population are important components of measures in solving this problem. Also, successful demining will contribute to strengthening international cooperation and increasing the prestige of Ukraine on the world stage. In the Report "Overview of mine action 2023" Ukraine was recognized as one of the most polluted countries in the world. According to the classification, the level of contamination was assessed as "unknown but extensive". Nevertheless, thanks to the work with non-mechanized survey, by the end of 2023, the area of potentially contaminated territory of Ukraine has decreased by 18,000 square kilometers. The area of potentially contaminated land is now estimated to be 156,000 square kilometers. The Government of Ukraine anticipates that 5-10% of all potentially contaminated land may require technical survey, and 2-8% may require demining from mines and explosive objects. In the economy, agriculture has become the most affected sector, since many farm fields cannot be used without professional demining, but this requires large amounts of money, equipment, and specialist time. Also, in Ukraine, there is a constant increase in the number of injured civilians from GNP, which should not be the case at all.
The work considers actual achievements in the field of demining using UAVs with multi-sensor platforms. An analysis of the signs of existing explosive objects and means of their detection using electronic sensors of various types placed on board UAVs was carried out. Variants of sensor placement and flight planning for the search and identification of explosive objects were studied.