Revolutionizing Landmine Detection: Breakthrough Laser-Acoustic Technology Allows for Safer, Faster Clearances

A new laser-acoustic technology developed at the University of Mississippi could pave the way for faster, safer landmine detection worldwide, addressing a global crisis that has left millions of undetected explosives in conflict zones.

The remnants of past wars often linger long after the last shot is fired, leaving behind deadly landmines that can lie hidden, undetected, and ready to explode at the slightest pressure. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 110 million landmines remain scattered across former and current conflict zones, threatening the lives of civilians, including children, long after hostilities end. 

Since Russia’s 2022 invasion, Ukraine has been described as one of the “most mine-laden countries in the world.” Human Rights Watch estimates that approximately 30% of the country is now littered with hidden, deadly munitions.

While traditional landmine detection methods can be time-consuming and dangerous, researchers at the University of Mississippi have made a breakthrough in using laser-acoustic technology to detect these hidden explosives more effectively.

A team led by Vyacheslav Aranchuk, a principal scientist at Ole Miss’s National Center for Physical Acoustics, has developed a promising new detection method that employs lasers and acoustic waves to pinpoint landmines without disturbing the surrounding area. 

The potential implications of this technology include improving safety and efficiency while aiding in the rapid clearance of affected areas and the return of safe land for agriculture and community development.

“There are tens of millions of landmines buried around the world and more every day as conflicts continue,” Aranchuk said in a press release by Ole Miss. “There are military applications for this technology in ongoing conflicts and humanitarian applications after the conflicts are over.”

The Challenges of Landmine Detection

For decades, traditional landmine detection has relied heavily on metal detectors, trained dogs, and manual probing methods that require personnel to painstakingly search each inch of land, risking their lives with every step. 

Even with technological advances, the risk of injury remains high, and the time required to detect and clear mines can stretch into years for large areas. 

Metal detectors, for instance, often produce false positives by picking up any metallic object in the area—a problem worsened by the abundance of metal fragments and shrapnel commonly found in conflict zones. 

The limitations of traditional methods become more apparent when considering that most modern landmines are made of plastic or non-metallic materials, which are harder to detect with conventional metal detectors.

Ground-penetrating radar, while effective, is costly and can be impeded by certain soil types or materials, limiting its reliability in some environments.

Ultimately, each landmine presents a unique danger. Many are old, unstable, and prone to accidental detonation, making their removal even riskier. 

In conflict regions where resources are scarce, the dangers posed by these undetected explosives often prevent communities from accessing arable land, building infrastructure, or even traveling safely. The need for an efficient, scalable, and safe detection method has never been more pressing.

In February 2024, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) announced the formation of a 20-nation “demining coalition,” including the launch of a “Spring Innovation Challenge” aimed at advancing remote mine-clearing operations. 

A New Solution with Lasers and Sound Waves

The technology developed by Aranchuk’s team, dubbed the “Laser Multi-Beam Differential Interferometric Sensor” or “LAMBDIS,” utilizes a laser to create a series of acoustic waves on the ground’s surface. 

The core of this technology is its ability to use sound waves in combination with a laser to map subsurface anomalies with high precision. When the laser hits the ground, it generates tiny vibrations or acoustic waves that travel through the soil. These waves reflect in distinctive patterns if an object is beneath the surface, such as a landmine. Advanced sensors capture the returning waves, and the data is processed to differentiate between ordinary soil and potential threats.

This method offers high accuracy in distinguishing between common debris and actual explosives. Unlike metal detectors, which can be triggered by any metallic fragment, the laser-acoustic approach narrows the potential hazards more precisely, reducing the chances of false alarms and allowing for a more efficient demining process.

Significantly, the laser-acoustic technique does not require physical contact with the ground, allowing operators to detect potential explosives from a safe distance. 

Speeding Up Demining Efforts

One of the most compelling aspects of this new technology is its speed. In 2019, Aranchuk patented a similar laser-acoustic device capable of detecting landmines using a linear array of 30 laser beams. The new LAMBDIS device, however, features a 34×23 matrix of beams arranged in a rectangular grid, allowing it to cover significantly more ground than previous versions.

At the Optica Laser Congress and Exhibition in October in Osaka, Japan, Aranchuk and his research partner Boyang Zhang, a former postdoctoral researcher at the NCPA, demonstrated that LAMBDIS could function while mounted on a moving vehicle. Traveling at approximately 10 mph, the device can produce a vibration map of the ground in under a second, quickly detecting landmines buried as deep as 65 feet.

The ability to operate the LAMBDIS from a vehicle, including an unmanned ground drone, means an operator can scan significantly larger sections of land in less time, accelerating the demining process and reducing the duration of hazardous exposure for personnel.

This efficiency is vital in heavily mined regions where the need for safe land is urgent. Faster detection times mean quicker land clearance, allowing displaced communities to return to their homes, farmers to cultivate fields, and infrastructure projects to move forward without the lurking danger of landmines.

The impact of this laser-acoustic technology could be felt across multiple regions facing landmine issues. From Afghanistan to Ukraine, countries scarred by years of conflict have millions of acres of land contaminated by explosive remnants of war. 

Clearing this land is often a complex, lengthy process involving substantial financial and human resources. In many instances, affected regions lack the resources to implement large-scale demining projects, relying instead on international aid and NGO efforts.

This laser-acoustic technology has the potential to ease that burden by providing a scalable solution that can be deployed more widely and affordably. Faster and safer demining methods mean that international aid organizations can extend their reach, clearing more land at lower costs and reducing the ongoing danger to local populations.

Although still in development, the potential applications for LAMBDIS are promising. Aranchuk says the next steps include refining the system’s accuracy, including its ability to detect differing buried objects in various soil conditions.

As this technology progresses toward broader deployment, it could see practical applications not only in humanitarian demining efforts but also in military settings, where rapid mine detection could improve the safety of troops during conflicts.

Another potential area for development lies in adapting this technology to detect other types of buried explosives, such as improvised explosive devices (IEDs), that have become increasingly prevalent in modern conflicts. 

The versatility and adaptability of laser-acoustic detection could make it a valuable tool across various fields where ground-penetrating technologies are necessary.

“Beyond landmine detection, LAMBDIS technology can be adapted for other purposes,” Aranchuk explained. “Such as assessment of bridges and other engineering structures, vibration testing and nondestructive inspection of materials in [the] automotive and aerospace industry, and biomedical applications.”