Ukrainian agricultural startup creates unmanned complex for field demining
Фото: Ukrainian Future
The Ukrainian startup efarm.pro, which develops universal agronomical navigators and controllers, has created an unmanned complex for field demining.
It consists of a drone, a demining robot, an autopilot, and a tractor-mounted system that can withstand an explosion.
What is the problem?
"My farmer clients talked about a critical issue of the unbearable working on mined lands. Mines often blew up those who risked going to the field, lost their equipment, or even their lives.
Given the scale of mine pollution, the UN already called Ukraine one of the most mined countries in the world. Farmers would have to wait for years for their turn to clear hundreds and thousands of hectares of land.
Therefore, the need for alternative safe demining became obvious," says Oleksandr Prykhodchenko, the CEO of the startup.
What is the solution?
The startup develops technological solutions for the agricultural sector, like agro-navigators and controllers. They became the basis for the creation of a complex for demining fields.
The idea of the project arose in the first months of the beginning of the full-scale war. After attracting the necessary specialists, the prototype was ready in a few months.
How does it work?
The system operates autonomously, allowing the vehicle to be controlled from a safe distance if necessary to minimize any risk to life.
The de-mining complex involves three levels of surveying the territory and neutralizing dangerous objects.
Firstly, a drone is equipped with appropriate sensors and the function of transmitting the exact coordinates of the location of explosive devices with geo-referencing. It detects explosives at a depth of up to 1 m. They are neutralized by a robot deminer and certified sappers.
Next, a remote-controlled tractor with a trailed protection system enters the field and cuts through the topsoil to ensure safe operation.
The tractor works in autonomous mode without an operator in the cab. This excludes the possibility of its death or injury. In addition, the equipment is equipped with protective equipment that works according to the principle of a mine trawl. This process guarantees that nothing dangerous will remain in the ground, the developer noted.
The system provides for automatic operation on large areas with an accuracy of 2 cm along a given route.
The tractor traverses the field at a speed of 5 km/h. In a 10-hour working day, it is able to survey 20 hectares of land.
The UAV will work in the fields of the de-occupied territories. So far, Ukrainian developers planned demining before sowing. However, it is possible to improve the complex in the future so that it also allows safe harvesting in fields where there is a danger of mine contamination.
We previously reported a Ukrainian student created a mine-detecting drone and became the winner of a prestigious competition.
