Sophisticated test facility to detect land mines

In the framework of the Dutch government humanitarian demining project 'HOM-2000', an outdoor test facility has been realized to test, improve and develop detection equipment for land mines. This sophisticated facility, allows us to access and compare the performance of the individual and of a combination of different sensors (sensor fusion) against a variety of threats. The test facility entails six test lanes of 30 square meters each, filled with different types of soil. The groundwater level of the lanes can be regulated separately and the temperature of the soil and of the test mines is monitored. A moveable measurement platform has been realized which is completely free of electrically conducting materials. With this platform the individual or fused detection systems can be moved automatically over the whole test site with an accuracy of one centimeter in every direction. Test mines and minelike objects have been placed in the lanes. The set of test mines contains nine different types of both anti personnel and anti tank mines, low metal content and non-metal mines. To simulate the high explosives, the test mines have been filled with a silicone rubber.