A smart sensing method for mine detection using time difference IR images

This paper describes a smart remote sensing system that can detect scattered mine weapons by making use of an infrared ray (IR) camera. The object (mine) detection method proposed uses parallel image processing based on time difference or subtraction images from the IR camera. Because of the danger involved, it is desirable for mines to be detected from the most remote endeavoring. In the case that mines are buried in the ground, we can detect them if there is a sufficiently large temperature gradient between the ground and the radiant heat around the mine position. First, a cold water solution is sprayed over the surrounding region to cool the ground. Then we measure the temperature of this surface with an IR camera. In this time, we can obtain time difference images by checking the difference in temperature of the soil and the radiant heat of the buried mine object and the cooling speed. Each subtraction image is processed in real time by using pipelined image processing software implemented on a Linux platform PC.