A Danish-Ukrainian technology startup is working on solving the problem of landmining in Ukraine using robotics and neural networks.
This is reported by Odense Robotics, which has provided funding and technical support to the startup.
It is noted that with current demining technologies in Ukraine, where the mined area covers 144,000 sq. km, it will take over 70 years and cost €33.5 billion.
Some of the technological solutions developed by the startup are already being produced and tested in Ukraine.
“Ukraine is the most mined country in the world today. The current mine clearing process is painfully slow, dangerous and costly. Ukraine just doesn’t have the time to wait or money to invest,” says V’yacheslav Shvaydak, Co-founder and CEO of Dropla Tech ApS.
Shvaydak states that with current technologies, it costs about 1-3 euros to demine one square metre. By leveraging robotics and AI, the company can make demining faster, cheaper and more secure. Odense Robotics estimate that our solution could reduce the price of demining one square metre to 10 cents and reduce the time needed from 70 years to 12.
Demining Ukraine is also a matter of global food security. Before the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine was a major global food supplier, feeding over 400 million people worldwide and providing 10% of all exported grain.
How it works
Dropla is a tool to assist demining operations. The landmine detection platform combines drone swarm technology equipped with multi-modal sensor fusion and a fleet of unmanned ground vehicles that enable safety zone confirmation.
While most demining solutions use one drone at a time, Dropla deploys a swarm of six UAVs simultaneously, making it possible to cover a larger area, faster – as much as 0.5 sq. km. per day. The drones detect landmines through optical, magnetic and electromagnetic sensors and send data to a computing station, which creates a georeferenced digital surface map showing the location of threats.
Then, Dropla’s remote-controlled ground preparation UGVs remove vegetation and make sure that no threats are left undetected. These UGVs are designed to withstand a detonation of anti-personnel landmines that could have been missed in the initial survey. The result is that the land is safe for the demining squad to enter and perform demining.
About Odense Robotics StartUp Fund
The Odense Robotics StartUp Fund provides robotic and drone entrepreneurs with access to capital, mentoring, network and one of Europe’s leading startup incubators at the Danish Technological Institute in Odense, Denmark.
The commercial foundation helps early-stage startups realise their full potential and accelerate their journey from idea to launch. This is achieved through a tailored programme that leverages Denmark’s world-leading expertise in robotics technology.
The fund selects startups for a place in the incubator, where they:
- Are matched with mentors who have built global companies in robotics, drones, and automation.
- Access capital without giving up ownership shares.
- Develop their product and business in collaboration with a team of robotic and drone experts from the Danish Technological Institute and Odense Robotics.
- Develop their prototype in their own office space within a dynamic environment, where startups have access to advanced technical equipment.
- Build a unique network and meet partners, grant providers, and investors.
