On mine detection, if we have to rule out chemical based detection because mines could be chemical tight and metal detectors because they might be non metallic I suspect there’s not much left. Is the use of a number of detection methods in a screening mode not useful?

- any detection method should be based on evidence that there is something to detect. The starting point for this sort of technology is to demonstrate that for ALL mines and unexploded ordnance in a particular region there will be “contamination” of the surrounding soil by a substance leaking from the mine. This work has not been done, and the available evidence is that some mines and many UXOs are well sealed and not leaking, even after a long time.

- secondly, how would this method work for such common scenarios as dense vegetation (where people think there are mines they do not usually farm the land, so vegetation grows wild, in the tropics it can reach 5 to 10 metres tall in a few years), tripwire mines with wires hidden in vegetation, and so on.

The real problem in mine clearance is not locating individual mines once we know which area contains mines. There are plenty of technologies available to do that already, and sufficient organisations and people with lots of experience and skills. No, the real problems include (i) identifying land that is free from hazard so it can be released directly to the local people for use (ii) identifying the outer perimeter of mined areas so that deminers do not waste huge amounts of time and money clearing land that does not have, and has never had, any mines, and (iii) actually getting rid of the mines or UXO once they are located. Some countries (e.g. Laos) suffer extreme contamination from unexploded bombs without any mines present. The UXO is easy to locate and usually visible. But the problem of how to get rid of it remains largely unsolved. It isn’t as sexy as detecting buried mines, so receives almost no attention.

Mine Action has been full of this sort of invention for the last 15 years or more. Until the inventors address real problems with real solutions they remain nothing more than a way to boost the inventor’s ego and get cheap press coverage.

This will not be useful for real deminers.