With the help of professors, other students, and the university itself, this team wants to make it safe to walk again for millions of people around the world.
Walking to work, class, or a friend’s house down the street, these are all mundane tasks people around the world do everyday. Now imagine making the same walk, but with every step you take, you worry you might trigger a small explosive device buried inches under the earth, which could sever your leg or even take your life.
Photo: Gervasio Sanchez
This is a reality for millions of innocent people around the world whose roads, farms, and backyards are plagued by Explosive Remnants of War. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines has estimated that over 110 million anti-personnel landmines have been placed in over 83 countries. Some of the worst affected areas are Mozambique, Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, and Laos.
The UN estimates that landmines kill anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 people every year. Around 80% of these victims are civilians, with children being the most likely to die from detonations.
Even if victims are not killed on impact, they are usually maimed by the detonation, losing a foot, leg, or some other body part. These disabilities last a lifetime, leaving hundreds of thousands of individuals unable to work, provide for their families, and live their daily lives. Caring for injuries can also be expensive, especially for those living in impoverished parts of the world. In Iraq it was estimated that the cost of caring for landmine victims was more than 50% of the country’s medical resources.
Landmines also render hundreds of acres of land unusable in countries that need it most. Places that suffer from extreme poverty and food shortages are unable to farm this land due to fear of injury or death. This hurts these countries’ agricultural outputs and the welfare of their citizens.
Photo: CNN
It’s clear that landmines are a huge problem that needs to be addressed, but removing and disarming them can often be dangerous. The UN estimates that for every 5,000 mines cleared, one worker will be killed and two will be injured via accidental detonation. The world wants to help, but it’s hard for governments and organizations to put lives at risk to solve this issue.
That’s where the Landmines Team of James Madison University’s drones project comes in. This group of talented young students, consisting of Dalton Wagner (junior/biology major), Rehan Ahmed and Dan McHugh (seniors/WRTC majors), and Eric Lim and Marshall Grimard (juniors/physics) Bailey Swayne (junior/CS, Math and Robotics minor), is attempting to construct a drone that can accurately and effectively detect and detonate landmines in various environments and settings. They want to eliminate landmines while also eliminating the risk that comes with disarming them. With the help of professors, other students, and the university itself, this team wants to make it safe to walk again for millions of people around the world.
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