Ballistic ground penetrating radar equipment for blast-exposed security applications

Abstract

Among all the forensic applications in which it has become an important exploration tool, ground penetrating radar (GPR) methodology is being increasingly adopted for buried landmine localisation, a framework in which it is expected to improve the operations efficiency, given the high resolution imaging capability and the possibility of detecting both metallic and non-metallic landmines. In this context, this study presents landmine detection equipment based on multi-polarisation: a ground coupled GPR platform, which ensures suitable penetration/resolution performance without affecting the safety of surveys, thanks to the inclusion of a flexible ballistic shielding for supporting eventual blasts. The experimental results have shown that not only can the blanket absorb blast-induced flying fragments impacts, but that it also allows for the acquisition of data with the accuracy required to generate a correct 3D reconstruction of the subsurface. The produced GPR volume is then processed through an automated learning scheme based on a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) capable of detecting buried objects with a high degree of accuracy.