Proof: How Small Drones Can Find Buried Landmines in the Desert Using Airborne IR Thermography

Hypotheses and speculation have circulated for at least three decades regarding how IR thermography could be viable as a technique for locating buried landmines in arid environments. However, there has been a lack of proof under actual field conditions. Addressing many overall questions regarding small drones in HMA, the Odyssey2025 Project—led by HI and Mobility Robotics— closely collaborated with the national mine action center in Chad, the Haut Commissariat National au Déminage (HCND), to complete activities and objectives. As part of a holistic approach, the primary objective was to determine how small drones could add value in HMA field operations and augment other assets at both simple and advanced perspectives. This research is from an advanced perspective, following on from the work previously published in The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction outlining how low-cost consumer drones can augment HMA operations at a simple level using visual imagery and GIS/cartography/photogrammetry. This article aims to advance the field’s understanding of drones and their ability to indicate the location of buried objects