Highly sensitive microwave sensor for metallic mine detection

Abstract

This study introduces an innovative microwave system for detecting buried metallic landmines, providing an alternative to conventional imaging approaches. The system consists of two highly sensitive sensors, each configured with identical antennas arranged in a triangular formation to enhance sensitivity. The proposed microwave sensors exhibit exceptional sensitivity in detecting metallic landmines buried at various depths within sand and at different distances. Simulation and experimental studies were conducted using a foam box filled with sand and a metallic cube to simulate a landmine. The sensor’s sensitivity is evidenced by shifts in both the magnitude and phase of insertion loss (𝑆21) between scenarios with and without a metallic mine, attributed to differences in dielectric properties between the sand and the mine in the microwave spectrum. The results from both simulations and experiments confirm the sensor’s capability to detect metallic mines at varying depths within the sand medium. The proposed system offers significant advantages over imaging technologies for mine detection, including cost-effectiveness, simplicity, and ease of data processing without the need for complex imaging algorithms.