Visual Terrestrial Cues for Landmine Detection
Abstract
The project objective was to systematically generate foundational knowledge about the feasibility of detecting landmines via visual examination of the ground surface where such ordnance has been buried. The products of this effort were sought explicitly for their potential utility to support the design, testing, and development of training for visual detection. Such training, when used to augment current training of operators of handheld landmine detection equipment, holds potential to enhance the US Army's countermine capability and possibly counter-IED capability as well. A secondary project objective, based on the hypothesis that the data acquired would indicate that detection of landmines via visual information on the ground surface is viable, was to characterize the visual information produced by the burial of landmines that could be used to identify their locations. A related objective was to characterize changes to this information over time and with exposure to naturally changing environmental conditions. Such knowledge would dictate content requirements for visual landmine detection training and so inform its design. A third objective was to identify verbal descriptors of visual information produced by landmine burial. Such information is directly relevant to support the training of soldiers visual detection skills. That is because the instructional component of such training should include communicating clearly to trainees the visual cues and patterns of cues that need to be perceived in the natural environment to successfully and safely locate threat mines. Verbal descriptions of these cues and patterns represent the vehicles for communicating to soldier/trainees the information to which attention must be directed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 27, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA482698
Entities
People
- James J. Staszewski
Organizations
- Carnegie Mellon University