Fuzzy logic detection of landmines with ground penetrating radar

An automatic landmine detection algorithm using Ground Penetrating Radar is described. The algorithm combines outputs of multiple detection and feature extraction algorithms to generate a single confidence that a landmine is present at a location. The combination is performed using a fuzzy inference system. Results are provided for real data obtained in real-time with the Geo-Centers Vehicle Mounted Mine Detection System (VMMDS). Detection and removal of landmines is a serious problem affecting civilians and soldiers worldwide. It is estimated that there are up to 100 million active buried million landmines in the world and that every 20 minutes someone is either killed or maimed by a landmine [1]. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) sensors are currently under investigation for landmine detection. A signal processing research question is “How well can GPR signatures of landmines can be detected and discriminated from signatures generated by non-mine clutter or system artifacts?”. We describe an experimental signal processing approach todetecting landmines with GPR that uses multiple algorithms to generate a confidence value that a landmine is present at a location. The confidence values from the multiple algorithms, or information sources, are combined to generate a single value using a Mamdani fuzzy inference system. Results are presented for real data collected in real-time from the Geo-Centers VMMDS at a variety of locations in the United States. The GPR data is first described. An overview of the detection algorithm is then given. The individual information sources are described. Some information sources have been tested in the field and results are provided for those. The fuzzy inference system is discussed. The experimental results show that fusing information sources based on the same sensor with fuzzy logic can dramatically reduce false alarms while not reducing detection rates. The GEO-CENTERS’ VMMDS uses a patented Energy Focusing GPR (EFGPR)[2,3] specifically designed for use in vehicle mounted mine detection applications. The EFGPR incorporates 15 transmitter/receiver pairs. Each transmitter is sequentially pulsed with time delays that result in the simultaneous arrival of the radar wavefronts at a unique point in space. The reflected energy from that point is then detected by the receivers that are individually gated with time delays to receive signals from this point. Individual transmitter/receiver time delays are then modified to move the focus point and to create a two-dimensional “raster scan” or scan of the subsurface. Figure 1 illustrates the operation of the system with 4 transmitter/receiver pairs.