Every day, people around the world live in fear due to hidden landmines left behind from war. These explosives remain deadly for years—stopping kids from playing, families from farming, and entire communities from rebuilding. HALO is using powerful new technology to rid the world of landmines faster and safer than ever before.
Meet Spot the Robot Dog
In Ukraine, we’re testing a robot called Spot built by Boston Dynamics. Spot looks like a four-legged robot dog and can walk across rocky, dangerous terrain. HALO is testing Spot to scout hazardous areas, take photos, and carry tools—all without putting people in danger. Spot may one day help detect landmines too. It's just one of the exciting ways HALO is exploring robotics to improve safety and speed.
Mapping Danger Zones with GPS and GIS
To find landmines, we need to know exactly where to look. HALO uses advanced mapping tools called GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and GPS (Global Positioning Systems). These tools, powered by Esri software and Trimble GPS equipment, help us build smart digital maps. These maps combine many layers of information—like old war records, photos, and satellite data—to show us the areas most at risk. With this technology, we can send our teams to the right places quickly and avoid wasting time on safe ground.
Hazardous area mapping in Ukraine using Esri's ArcGIS Pro and Trimble's DA2 devices.
Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Predict Landmine Locations
HALO has begun trialing Artificial Intelligence and machine learning with AWS and other organizations so that we can work smarter. AI is helping us look at huge amounts of information in Ukraine and beyond—like satellite images, past conflict data, and community reports—so we can start predicting where landmines are most likely hidden. Instead of guessing, we use data to guide our actions. This makes clearance faster and safer for our staff and helps communities return to normalcy sooner.
Esri's AI/ML capabilities make it possible to detect the impacts of clearance in Afghanistan.
A Game-Changing Mine Detector
Clearing landmines by hand takes time and is dangerous. But now, a new detector made by MRead has the potential to change everything. This powerful handheld tool uses magnetic field sensors—like those in hospital MRI machines—to spot explosives more accurately. It’s better at ignoring harmless metal junk, which means fewer false alarms and quicker clearance. In tests, it made landmine detection 30% faster. That kind of improvement saves lives and helps communities recover faster.
Working with the U.S. Army's Humanitarian Demining R&D Program
HALO also works closely with the U.S. Army’s Humanitarian Demining Research & Development Program, based at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. This program develops and tests new technology to find and remove landmines, unexploded bombs and improvised explosive devices. HALO helps by testing this equipment in real-life field conditions. Our feedback helps the Army improve these tools for use around the world—both for humanitarian efforts and military safety. Together, we’re making demining safer, faster, and more effective.
October 2024: HALO and MAG host a demining technology demonstration with the Army’s Humanitarian Demining Research and Development Program (HD R&D). Read the full visit re-cap and watch video demonstrations below.
HDR&D teams test a Rotary Mine Comb, an innovative tool capable of gently extricating buried objects from the soil and pushing them to the side of the path of the host vehicle.
Ronan Shenhav, one of HALO’s Research and Development Officers, demonstrates the HSTAMIDS Detector, which can differentiate landmines from other debris.
