A Wearable Landmine Detector That Slips Inside A Shoe
Colombia has had more landmine-related deaths and injuries since 1990 than every other country except Afghanistan. This device could help its citizens walk around without constant fear.
Colombia's long guerrilla war has left a dangerous legacy in its fields and jungles: thousands of land-mines. Groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) buried the devices to protect their bases and drug plantations, and the result has been terrible for soldiers and civilians alike. Mines have maimed more than 10,000 people since 1990; only Afghanistan has had more such victims.
The only real solution, of course, is to clear the mines and destroy them. And a process to do that is now under way. In the meantime, though, people are still exposed to danger, and there's a need for technology that helps people walk through rural areas without constant fear.
Lemur Studio, a design firm in Bogotá, has one idea. It's a mine detector that fits inside someone's shoe, alerting the wearer if an explosive device is within a few feet. It's aimed at troops, people eradicating illicit crops, and farmers. The studio is now looking for funding and support to get it built (it's still a concept at the moment).
Called SaveOneLife, the detector consists of a coil printed on a thin conductive material. It produces an electromagnetic field, and in turn detects another electromagnetic field from large pieces metal nearby. If it finds a mine, the device sends a signal to a wristband, telling the wearer to watch out or change direction.
http://www.fastcoexist.com/3023674/a-wearable-landmine-detector-that-slips-inside-a-shoe
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