2011 Award Winners
Award-winning project: Method for automated unexploded ordnance detection for the DATA2LINE special software
Project partners: Institut Dr. Foerster GmbH & Co. KG | STASA Steinbeis Angewandte Systemanalyse GmbH/Stuttgart
The reliable identification of metallic objects using magnetic field measurement data is a key component of explosive ordnance disposal, particularly when clearing unexploded ordnance from past wars. Worldwide, one person is injured or killed by mines and unexploded ordnance every 30 minutes. More than 60 countries are battling the explosive legacy of armed conflicts. In Germany, too, thousands of tonnes of ammunition and bombs – the legacy of the two world wars – are still recovered every year.
High-resolution magnetic field measurement techniques are among the methods used to locate these contaminated sites. In this way, the subsoil is investigated for every construction project in areas affected in this way. The Dr Foerster Institute is one of the leading companies in the field of recording, evaluating and analysing magnetic field measurement data and, with its FEREX® magnetometers, provides a globally recognised instrument for recording this data. Until now, the signatures of suspected objects in the magnetic field data have been selected manually and then evaluated individually.
The method, developed in collaboration with STASA Steinbeis Angewandte Systemanalyse GmbH, significantly improves the reliability of unexploded ordnance detection and largely automates the process. This significantly reduces the risk of overlooking a dangerous object. The georeferenced measurement data is used to determine the exact position, including depth and orientation angles, as well as to classify the volume of the unexploded ordnance. To achieve this, various filtering methods were combined with a physical dipole model. An innovative pattern recognition method, developed specifically for this task, ensures the reliable identification of closely adjacent objects.
Using the DATA2LINE® software developed, the specialists commissioned can analyse the contamination of larger areas much more effectively and document it more accurately. This contributes to increased cost-effectiveness, as well as to a reduction in the potential risk when carrying out clearance projects. The method developed will also be used in the field of archaeology in future and is currently being expanded in collaboration with experts to address these specific requirements.