Robot Mine Smasher

A reader writes " Robotsotre had a link to a Japanese story about a new landmine-hunting robot that covers the mine with a protective dome and then smashes it with a high-velocity hydraulic piston. The company's called Cos Co, the robot is 3.5m long, and the cost about $75K (USD). Robot mine hunter does job quietly http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20020213wo71.htm Not that I know much about landmines, but does this mean the detonator cap is smashed without detonating? Or separated from the explosives before it can?" As this article also points out, this will help remove mines in Afghanistan, which after 20 years of war has more then a few around.

Great news

[XiC]

Good to hear this is really what tech is surposed to do.

Re:Great news

[zoccav]

Good to hear this is really what tech is surposed to do.

I understand and appreciate your positive statement.

However, I disagree on your words. IMO tech is supposed to be constructive. Both the mines and the robot aren't.

Although it's a good thing that probably less people will get mutilated by mines with this robot, I dread the instant where laying mines becomes a less severe crime because of the robot.

powerfull countrys stop producing mines

[Migx]

Like USA, who refused to sign the paper concerning that issue. But then again it's an republican president now, meaning WEAPONS WEAPONS... like that stupid anti missile shield, when everybody know that the most dangerous attacks come from actions inside the country not outside, like Olkahome, Wold trade center etc etc ..... hmm i'm going off topic in here so I will just shut up :)

Banning land mines

[SmileyBen]

How sad then, that America has almost single-handedly prevented the banning of anti-personnel land mines, principally because it is afraid of losing its ability to interfere in Korea.

...not laying them in the first place is a lot more cost / effort / human-life efficient than removing mines once you have...

Re:powerfull countrys stop producing mines

[Anonymous Coward]

Off topic? Try stupid.

A dinky little aeroplane flying into a dinky little skyscraper is nothing compared to what you will experience when a dinky little ICBM or medium range Korean missile with a dinky little nuclear warhead obliterates Washington D.C. The day that happens you will scream for a missile shield. If you live, that is.
Sweet dreams.

Re: hypocritical

[americanFatCat]

We didn't drop thousands of mines on them, you don't just drop an antipersonnel mine. The country has been in constant war for 20 years, which means that it has accumulated land mines all over the place. These land mines usually end up killing civilians, which is why removing them is such a good idea.

If we don't help Afghanistan rebuild after this then there was no point to the war. Look at Japan, we fought them, and then helped them rebuild (and in our image). Now they're a model pacifist country. Look at Germany; the same thing happened there. It is not hypocritical at all to help the Afghans now, it is absolutely vital to our future safety and theirs.

Re:Sigh, Diana could never figure it out...

[FrostyWheaton]

unexploded cluster bombs

Both the parent and the grandparent post were talking about land mines not un-exploded ordinance. The parent post was a contrast between america's use of land mines and the practices of various other mine-deploying entities. UXO is another issue, one that was not part of this thread

Ban Landmines!

[amartey]

A political solution to the landmine problem is far preferable to a technical one. The United States needs to sign and ratify the 1997 UN Treaty to ban landmines. The US is one of only 51 countries who have not signed the treaty. The US joins the ranks of such stellar countries as Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran in not supporting this treaty.

Landmines kill far more civilians than military personnel. Landmines are not a targeted weapon - they kill indiscriminitely.

For more information, see:

International Campaign to Ban Landmines [icbl.org]

United States Campaign to Ban Landmines [banminesusa.org]