HUMANITARIAN DEMINING INITIATED AND STIMULATES TRANSFER OF THE
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES OF GEO-INFORMATION
Milan Bajic
Faculty of Geodesy, University of Zagreb; Scientific Council Croatian Mine Action Center;
Ulica grada Vukovara 226 c, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
milan.bajic@zg.tel.hr
Commission VI, WG VI/3
KEY WORDS: airborne, remote sensing, SAR, DAEDALUS, thermal, infrared, humanitarian demining, SMART, ARC
ABSTRACT:
The geo-information system of the humanitarian demining is dynamic, large scale intelligence system for collecting thematic spatial
and temporal data and is not only a static GIS or cartographic system. It requires maps and other cartographic data actual in time,
very accurate in space and at the large scales; thematic data, collected by remote sensing and contextual data collected from other
sources. The advancement in variety of geo-information technologies was realised through the projects of the international scientific
cooperation in which Croatian partners added new value: the airborne minefield detection (SMART, ARC); Multicriteria analysis as
a support to decision in humanitarian demining and Mine Information System for South Eastern Europe, S.E.E. The most advanced
airborne remote sensing technologies were used in projects SMART: 4 bands synthetic antenna radar (ESAR), in fully and partially
polarised and interferometric modes, multispectral 12 channels line scanner Daedalus. In the project ARC were used high resolution
digital matrix camera in visible and near infrared bands, digital thermal infrared camera and hyper spectral scanner with 90 channels.
Spin — off of this project is the airborne remote sensing system for the general airborne survey of the minefields, collected
experience, knowledge and data by the use of new digital sensors, objective interpretation and application of data fusion
methodology for case of mined scene interpretation. In these projects was included large percentage of the ground truth collection
and operational approval by conventional demining technologies. By this approach the results of the projects gained confidence in
the community of the humanitarian demining.
1. Introduction general geo-information, the needs of the humanitarian
demining are specific and geo-information shall be customer
Humanitarian demining is a complex system aimed to solve oriented. Due to the legal liability for accidents or incidents if
the problems of the land contaminated by landmines and they happen at areas that were claimed as remediated for the
unexploded ordnance (UXO). Although significant mine use, particular importance has quality control (reliability,
contamination is exclusively problem of the undeveloped and accuracy, completeness) of both the spatial and the thematic
of developing countries, other countries support humanitarian data. The thematic data and information require very
countermine action through donations, research and confident approval and this is new challenge for geo-
development of technologies. In this process the countries information systems. Paper shows the advancement in several
afflicted by mine contamination can transform their role into of geo-information technologies that were realised through
active partners adding value to foreign partners (Bajic M., the projects of the international scientific cooperation in
2002). Although the humanitarian demining consists of which Croatian partners added value to these projects. There
several very different subsystems with different kinds of the are two large scientific projects (time duration of three years)
technologies, in this paper we will consider only the geo- about airborne minefield detection (EC IST SMART, 2000),
information technologies, mainly remote sensing. The geo- (EC IST ARC, 2000), both funded by European Commission
information system of the humanitarian demining is dynamic, (EC); project about Multicriteria analysis as a support to
large scale and complex intelligence system for collecting decision in prioritisation of demining, funded by Canada
thematic spatial and temporal data; definitely, it is not only a (Gorseta D., Mladineo N., Knezic S., 2003) and public Mine
static GIS or cartographic system (Bajic M., Fiedler T., Information System for South Eastern Europe (S.E.E.)
Gorseta D., 1998), (Fiedler T., 1993), Gelenié D., 2001), funded by EC and USA (SEEMACC 2002). By contraries
(Gorseta D., Mladineo N., Knezic S., 2003). It is curious the initiative of the Western European Union Demining
that humanitarian demining initiated transfer and Assistance Mission (WEUDAM) in the year 2000, to use the
continuously stimulates transfer of the advanced technologies satellite scenes for the production of maps at the scale
of geo-information, the most significant advancement 1:5000, for mine suspected areas in Croatia was not
happened with the airborne remote sensing (EC IST SMART, successful. This ill posed project was not realised, while in
2000), (EC IST ARC, 2000). this time were not available satellite scenes having ground
resolution better then 2 m. Croatian partners stated from
The humanitarian demining requires maps and other spatial beginning (Fiedler T., 1998), (Bajic M., Fiedler T., Gorseta
data very accurate in space, actual in time and at the large D., 1998) that in this moment only aerial photography could
scales (1:5000 and larger). In comparison to the needs of the provide accurate data for digital ortho photo maps at the scale
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1:5000.
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