Project Summary

Introduction
It is estimated that an area equivalent to Spain and Germany combined is affected by unexploded ordinance (UXO). This term includes mines, devices that are placed to deter use of land, and whose use to terrorize civilian populations is particularly deplored. Humanitarian de-mining is the removal of such landmines from an area to make it safe for civilian occupation. Unexploded ammunition of other types such as unexploded mortars etc, form a large part of the problem for de-mining teams trying to make land safe for civilian occupation and agricultural development.

Traditionally humanitarian de-mining is carried out by hand, clearing the overlying vegetation from a small area and investigating it with detectors and probes. This is a very time consuming and dangerous activity. The whole of the suspect area must be painstakingly cleared. Mechanical de-mining methods have attempted to speed up the process using many of the same techniques as military deminers. Efforts to prove the effectiveness of machines have so far proved expensive and have produced results of limited benefit, therefore hand de-mining has remained the most widely used method.

The Current Situation
Up until now the main machines for large scale mine removal have been varying designs of detection systems, rollers, grinding rollers, sifters and flails. Other approaches include devices that emulate the human footfall which trigger some anti-personnel mines. These approaches have a number of drawbacks, not least of which is that no machine can be guaranteed to totally clear any type of affected area, resulting in the widespread use of slow, expensive and dangerous hand probing.

Typical drawbacks of mechanical methods include:

• Being based on large machines, therefore very difficult and expensive to transport to the area of operation
• Being too complex to maintain in a remote location
• Being expensive
• Requiring large crews
• Being ineffective in many areas with such a variation of UXO, vegetation and terrain.

Many new detection techniques, vegetation clearance devices and mine removal systems have been, and are being, developed and brought on to the market. The problem with landmine removal is that with these latest innovations there always seems to be a perpetual catch 22 situation: often, it is not possible to use the new mine detection systems because of the bush/vegetation. Also, you cannot go in and clear the bush because of the mines; therefore, you cannot remove the mines because you could not detect where they are. The MDM system addresses this problem directly. (See below)

There are further challenges such as logistics, cost, practicality and reliability both in the machine doing the job and in getting the job done. However, by implementing a series of good ideas with recently developed technology into the new MDM (Modular De-Mining) system, incorporating the Ground Claimer 3000, we believe we are formulating a breakthrough. It has only become possible over the last year to develop the concept of this machine through the use of recent advances in engineering, hydraulics, satellite communications and computer networking technologies.

The proposal introduces a mechanical device that addresses the need for mechanically assisted de-mining. The machine is intended to greatly speed up the work of deminers. A major role for mechanical de-mining is in 'area reduction', rapidly processing large areas, allowing the hand deminers to concentrate on the detected items and difficult locations where they will be most effectively employed.

By entering into agreements with the landowners or governments for future crop production, we are now aiming to make de-mining a sustainable and even profitable operation. Hopefully, more organisations will then become involved and the massive task of global de-mining will be achieved more rapidly, thus dramatically reducing unnecessary suffering. Further, when considering this element of sustainability; it is also worth bearing in mind, potential future developments such as when natural resources become scarce and oil prices increase, the MDM has the ability to efficiently put large areas under crops such as oil seed rape to produce bio diesel etc.

Some years ago it had been calculated that if mine removal had continued at that rate, it would have taken 1100 years to accomplish the task of global de-mining. On average 2400 people are killed or injured each month through landmines. We calculated that with the increase in awareness causing a general subsequent decrease in the number of mines now being laid, plus other factors such as innovative de-mining technology, global de-mining could be completed much sooner. We also calculated that if we had eight hundred MDM machines operating to help the existing de-mining agencies, we could rid the world of these evil life destroyers in 50 years. This could have saved the lives of up to one million people and improved the quality of life for many more times that amount.

However, 142 countries have now signed up to the Ottawa Convention. In doing so they are agreeing to clear the mines that they are responsible for laying, within the next ten years. It is estimated that there are between 60 and 100 million landmines planted in 60 countries; Germany, the USA and Britain being among those responsible for some of these minefields. Very soon many individual countries will each be looking to buy large numbers of de-mining machines. Many new de-mining agencies are springing up, both governmental and non-governmental, for profit and humanitarian reasons. It is becoming a huge industry. Over the last few years roughly $300 million per year has been spent on de-mining but experts have estimated that to abide by the Ottawa Convention using existing technology, it will cost many billions. Our machine could bring global landmine removal up to date, reducing this cost as well as revolutionising the world's agricultural industry. The potential for job and wealth creation is enormous.

The MDM (Modular De-Mining) System
The MDM System will be fitted to a JCB Fastrac or similar vehicle. This allows the machine to travel without the need for a transporter and in places with poor road infrastructure. In transport position the vehicle uses its normal wheels. A Fastrac can drive at speeds of 50+ m.p.h.

In the working position the tractor is lifted up off the ground by the two GC3000 (Ground Claimer) units which are mounted at the front and rear of the tractor. Each GC3000 has two hydraulically driven traction rollers which provide the forward motion for the whole machine. A hydraulically driven grinding drum counter-rotating at high speed against a shear bar is located between the two traction rollers on each GC3000. This has the effect of digging up and grinding/pulverizing any material it encounters such as soil, stones and vegetation.

The MDM system can be used in a variety of modes to tackle different problems. The 3-metre wide position is used on overgrown areas. In this working mode the front GC3000 unit is tilted back so that only the rear traction roller is in contact with the ground. With the mulch blower fitted, this then acts as a vegetation-clearing device. The rear unit then follows pulverizing the soil, safely destroying anti-personnel mines. In all operating modes the seeding unit can be fitted to the rear GC3000 enabling a crop to be planted simultaneously.

The whole system is able to clear the vegetation, grind up/detonate personnel mines, detect larger UXOs, plough, cultivate, de-stone, fertilize, seed and roll all in one pass, literally Turning Minefields into Cornfields.

Another operating mode is the 5.75 metre wide position. This is used for mine clearing and/or crop planting in areas where vegetation does not have to be removed, thus allowing the greater operating width.

The positions of the two GC3000 units are controlled through intelligent 3 Point Linkage units. These devices allow the GC3000s to move independently, while accurately following the contours of the ground at the same time as keeping the tractor unit suspended on a straight and level course.

The hydraulic drive control system, working through the workload governor, ensures that power is efficiently channelled to where it is needed most. The forward speed is automatically reduced when difficult working conditions are encountered such as dense vegetation and/or hard soil.

Detection equipment is mounted into the front rollers of both GC3000s to identify the presence of larger devices that could not be safely destroyed in the grinding drum. The on-board computer, using information from the detection units and the ground speed radar, is able to determine the statistics of an object. If the object's statistics are beyond those of the pre-set parameter in the software, then the machine halts the forward movement before the object is drawn into the grinding drum. The driver is then able to look at the object's statistical outline on a monitor in the cab and decide whether to carry on and grind it up or to leave it behind for later removal by hand. If the object is left behind then the size statistics and location coordinates are registered into the on-board computer using GPS (Global Positioning System).

It will be necessary to back up the MDM system with hand clearance to clear ditches or areas very close to trees etc which is true of all mechanical systems. It is designed to clear a wide variety of environments, including sloping ground, wet and sandy areas which would present difficulties to the traditional heavy equipment based systems.

The MDM system is unique in its ability to simultaneously:

• Suspend the tractor unit above the ground, protecting both the tractor unit and operator.
• Detect UXO, automatically stopping the machine if the UXO is above a pre-set parameter, protecting the operator and machine.
• Register the size statistics and location co-ordinates of remaining UXO for manual removal.
• Grind up/detonate personnel mines.
• Remove the vegetation, keeping it separate from the soil while the simultaneous de-mining process is being carried out.
• Leave the land in a more valuable condition for agricultural viability.
• Seed, fertilize and roll (plant a crop).

The MDM system is built around a high-speed agricultural tractor and is able to travel independently between the places of work, dramatically improving logistical efficiency and reducing transportation cost.

One part of the longer term project is to develop the new QuickDrill system. This is a new water well drilling and pumping method ideal for helping developing nations. The QuickDrill system can be added to our Modular De-Mining System's attachments and would be used by development organisations including Mercy Trucks. Another use for the MDM system is in humanitarian work such as crop planting. The machine is able to re-establish the crop cycle as part of a famine prevention program following wars, droughts, floods, etc.

Other comparatively new, commercial contracting opportunities are starting to emerge such as border minefield removal. This particular industry is now starting to accelerate dramatically with world attention being focused on humanitarian de-mining including recent initiatives being developed by organizations such as the UN, development banks, Red Cross, Red crescent, The World Food Program and the Ottawa Convention. This now puts pressure on the developed nations to play their part in removing the landmines left over in many developing nations.
(Please contact us, for a list of organisations and companies involved in landmine removal. Request document ref W)

Cost Justification
Commencement of this project may be achieved either by providing philanthropic donation/funding to initiate the objectives of the charity (UK and US tax can be reclaimed) and/or by providing commercial investment funding such as venture capital to the company to initiate the commercial de-mining and machinery sales. After repaying the commercial investors, it is intended to operate this company in such a way as to enable support of the humanitarian de-mining and the rebuilding of communities. This work will be carried out through the De-Mining Systems and Mercy Trucks charities and through working with other similar charitable organisations.

We are seeking funding in the region of £1,500,000. or $2,325,000. (Rate based on $1.55 to the £) over 4 phases, during a period of 10 months. This will fund the factory/office facility along with development, manufacture, testing and production of the first machine. The facilities will then be in place to enable phase 4, full-scale production along with the components to build a further two machines. (As a commercial project, this proposal is based on the assumption that in month 11 we would expect to receive the proceeds of the sale of the first machine).

Phase 1
£490,000 or $759,500 (over months 1 to 10) to set up the infrastructure enabling the development of the project, such as the operations center with a design and manufacturing facility, including staff costs to build the first machine.

Phase 2
£400,000 or $620,000 (over months 1 to 5) to cover the development and supply of the components for the first machine.

Phase 3
£140,000 $217,000 (Over months 6 and 7) to prove the effectiveness of the MDM system for the clearance of dense vegetation, area reduction and as a landmine detection and clearance system. Also included in this figure are the costs of testing and certification.

Phase 4
£470,000. $728,500 (over months 6 to 10) to cover the component costs of a further two machines.

Following the success of this project, the number of MDM units in the field would be expected to have saturated the market after ten years production. With the novel design of the MDM system, any machines not being used for de-mining could then be used for agricultural development.

The main objective behind this project is to develop a sustainable method of supplying a machine/system whereby commercial gain can be achieved, by the undertaking of humanitarian projects (Minefields to Cornfields). This will tempt more contractors/companies to take on this type of much needed development work. We at De-Mining Systems believe in not only standing by our machinery, but also working behind it. We now have this chance to make the difference. Let us take this opportunity to turn back the hands of time and return the land back to its original purpose, that of supporting humanity.

If you would like to consider taking this project forward and require more information such as the business plan etc, please contact us.