Characterization of chemical sensors for the detection of explosives — development of standards

Abstract

Currently the armed forces in Germany are developing a Mobile Mine Detecting and Clearing System with the abbreviation MMSR. Three different types of sensors (EMI, GPR and MSP — working in a scanning mode) are applied in combination to find objects under, on or near the ground, the shapes of which correspond with that of Anti-Personnel Landmines (APL) or Anti-Tank Mines (ATM). None of these sensor technologies are able to identify the bulk material as explosives inside the object. As such, these techniques can not distinguish between a land mine and a variety of other man-made or natural objects or effects, often referred to as clutter. This results in an unacceptable number of false alarms, in many cases coupled with a dangerously low probability of detection. For that reason it is necessary to have a Fail-Safe-Sensor in order to prove the results of the mine detecting processes.