ROVs in today’s modern society are playing a very pivotal role in many onshore and offshore operations by commercial, governmental and military users. A very important application of ROVs, particularly in Egypt, is the detection and demining of landmines laid out in vast areas of the Western Desert. Landmine detection is characterized by the high cost of conventional methods, the need for imported advanced technology, and the lack of clear accurate maps of landmine locations. The objective of this paper is to investigate new trends in sensing for controlling ROVs in terms of navigation and location with focus on the application in landmine detection. An early prototype of a landmine detection ROV has been developed to demonstrate the feasibility of the mechanical construction and reasoning control mechanism. Various alternatives of sensors used in navigation associated with ROVs are identified together with their applicability in the landmine detection prototype ROV. GPS is identified as an economical starting option for location of landmines. |
