Mine clearing

Abstract

An unmanned minefield clearing vehicle comprising a plurality of wheels configured to enable the vehicle to move forwards through a minefield. The plurality of wheels includes a first wheel configured to rotate about an axis of rotation. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle further comprises control circuitry. The control circuitry is configured to cause, based at least in part on a determined location of a mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle if the vehicle moves forwards through the minefield, at least one of: lifting of the first wheel from ground; or movement of the first wheel in a first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel, in order to enable the vehicle to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine.

Description

[0001] TITLE

[0002] Mine Clearing

[0003] TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

[0004] Examples of the disclosure relate to mine clearing. Some relate to a minefield clearing vehicle.

[0005] BACKGROUND

[0006] Clearing minefields is a dangerous and time-consuming process. The process is also expensive, with exploding mines causing damage to mine clearing vehicles which then require repair or replacement. Explosion of mines can also alert potentially hostile actors to the mine clearing operation.

[0007] There is therefore a requirement to improve the speed, safety, and cost-effectiveness of mine clearing operations, as well as minimising the disturbance caused by mine clearing operations.

[0008] BRIEF SUMMARY

[0009] According to various, but not necessarily all, examples there is provided an unmanned minefield clearing vehicle, comprising: a plurality of wheels configured to enable the vehicle to move forwards through a minefield, wherein the plurality of wheels includes a first wheel configured to rotate about an axis of rotation; and control circuitry configured to: cause, based at least in part on a determined location of a mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle if the vehicle moves forwards through the minefield, at least one of: lifting of the first wheel from ground; or movement of the first wheel in a first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel, in order to enable the vehicle to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine.

[0010] The control circuitry may be configured to determine the location of the mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle if the vehicle moves forwards through the minefield, prior to the causing, atleast one of: lifting of the first wheel from ground; or movement of the first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel.

[0011] The control circuitry may be configured to receive a signal comprising information indicating the determined location of the mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle if the vehicle moves forwards through the minefield, prior to the causing, at least one of: lifting of the first wheel from ground; or movement of the first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel.

[0012] The control circuitry may be configured to cause, after at least one of: lifting of the first wheel from ground or movement of the first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel, the vehicle to move forwards through the minefield such that the first wheel is beyond the determined location of the mine.

[0013] The control circuitry may be configured to cause, based at least in parton the determined location of the mine, movement of the first wheel in a first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel, in order to enable the vehicle to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield beyond the determined location of the mine. The control circuitry may be configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine, movement of the first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel from a first lateral position to a second lateral position, and the control circuitry is configured to cause the vehicle to move forwards through the minefield such that the first wheel is beyond the determined location of the mine, while the first wheel is in the second lateral position.

[0014] The movement of the first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel may comprise translational movement of the first wheel in a direction parallel to or coincident with the axis of rotation of the first wheel. The movement of the first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel comprises may comprise movement the first wheel in a direction parallel to or co-incident with the axis of rotation of the first wheel while maintaining the orientation of the wheel. The movement of the first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel may comprise movement of the entire first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel.The control circuitry may be configured to cause, based at least in parton the determined location of the mine, lifting of the first wheel from ground, in order to enable the vehicle to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield beyond the determined location of the mine. The control circuitry may be configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine, lifting of the first wheel from ground from a first vertical position to a second vertical position, and the control circuitry is configured to cause the vehicle to move forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine, while the first wheel is in the second vertical position.

[0015] The control circuitry may be configured to determine a predefined path in the minefield for the vehicle to travel along, and configured to determine a location of a mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle if the vehicle moves forwards along the predetermined path through the minefield.

[0016] The control circuitry may be configured to cause, based at least in parton the determined location of the mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle if the vehicle moves forwards through the minefield, at least one of: lowering of the first wheel to the ground; or movement of the first wheel in a second opposite direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel, once the first wheel has moved beyond the determined location of the mine. The control circuitry may be configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine, lowering of the first wheel to the ground, once the first wheel has moved beyond the determined location of the mine.

[0017] The plurality of wheels may further include a second wheel configured to rotate about a second axis of rotation. The control circuitry may be configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle if the vehicle moves forwards through the minefield, at least one of: lifting of the second wheel from ground; or movement of the second wheel in a direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the second wheel, in order to enable the vehicle to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine.The control circuitry may be configured to cause, based at least in parton the determined location of the mine, lifting of the second wheel from ground, in order to enable the vehicle to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield beyond the determined location of the mine. The control circuitry may be configured to cause lifting of the second wheel from ground after causing the lowering of the first wheel to the ground.

[0018] The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle may comprise a wheel lifting mechanism configured to lift the first wheel from ground. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle may comprise a further wheel lifting mechanism configured to lift the second wheel from ground.

[0019] The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle may comprise a plurality of wheel lifting mechanisms, and wherein a wheel lifting mechanism is provided for each of the wheels of the unmanned minefield clearing vehicle.

[0020] The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle may comprise a lateral wheel repositioning mechanism configured to move the first wheel in a direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle may comprise a further lateral wheel repositioning mechanism configured to move the second wheel in a direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the second wheel.

[0021] The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle may comprise a plurality of lateral wheel repositioning mechanisms, and wherein a lateral wheel repositioning mechanism is provided for each of the wheels of the unmanned minefield clearing vehicle.

[0022] The plurality of wheels may comprise six or more wheels. The plurality of wheels may comprise eight or more wheels.

[0023] The unmanned mine clearing vehicle may further comprise a mine detector configured to detect surface-scattered landmines and / or buried landmines in the vicinity of the vehicle. The control circuitry may be configured to determine the location of the mine based at least in part on information from the mine detector. The mine detector may comprise a ground penetrating radar scanner.The vehicle may further comprise means for disabling the mine. The means for disabling the mine may comprise a charge dispenser configured to deploy from the vehicle one or more charges.

[0024] According to various, but not necessarily all, examples there is provided a minefield clearing vehicle.

[0025] The minefield clearing vehicle may comprise a charge dispenser configured to deploy from the vehicle one or more charges for destroying a mine. The minefield clearing vehicle may comprise the one or more charges.

[0026] The one or more charges may comprise at least one of: an incendiary material or an explosive material. The one or more charges may comprise an incendiary material. The incendiary material may generate temperatures of at least 1000 °C, at least 1500 °C, at least 2000 °C, or at least 2500 °C when ignited. The incendiary material may comprise at least one of: thermite, magnesium or a pyrophoric material. The incendiary material may comprise thermite. The thermite may comprise iron (III) oxide and aluminium.

[0027] The one or more charges may comprise a delay component configured to cause the one or more charges to ignite at a predetermined time. The minefield clearing vehicle may comprise a plurality of charges, each of the plurality of charges having a delay component. The predetermined time of the delay component of at least two of the plurality of charges may be substantially the same, such that the at least two charges with substantially the same predetermined time are configured to ignite substantially simultaneously.

[0028] The minefield clearing vehicle may comprise control circuitry. The control circuitry may be configured to: cause, based at least in part on a determined location of a mine, at least one of the one or more charges to be deployed by the charge dispenser at the determined location.

[0029] The charge dispenser may comprise a movable arm configured to deposit a charge.The charge dispenser may comprise a charge container for containing a plurality of charges. The movable arm may be configured to retrieve a charge from an outlet of the charge container. The charge container may comprise a vibrating receptacle for locating the charges.

[0030] The outlet of the charge container may comprise a lip, the lip being configured to engage with a flange of a removable cover of the charge when the charge is removed from the outlet, such that the removable cover of the charge is removed when the charge is retrieved from the outlet by the movable arm.

[0031] The minefield clearing vehicle may be an unmanned minefield clearing vehicle.

[0032] The minefield clearing vehicle may comprise: a plurality of wheels configured to enable the vehicle to move forwards through a minefield, the plurality of wheels includes a first wheel configured to rotate about an axis of rotation. The minefield clearing vehicle may comprise: control circuitry configured to: cause, based at least in part on a determined location of a mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle if the vehicle moves forwards through the minefield, at least one of: lifting of the first wheel from ground; or movement of the first wheel in a first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel, in order to enable the vehicle to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine.

[0033] The control circuitry may be configured to determine the location of the mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle if the vehicle moves forwards through the minefield, prior to the causing, at least one of: lifting of the first wheel from ground; or movement of the first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel. The control circuitry may be configured to receive a signal comprising information indicating the determined location of the mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle if the vehicle moves forwards through the minefield, prior to the causing, at least one of: lifting of the first wheel from ground; or movement of the first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel.

[0034] The control circuitry may be configured to cause, after at least one of: lifting of the first wheel from ground or movement of the first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotationof the first wheel, the vehicle to move forwards through the minefield such that the first wheel is beyond the determined location of the mine.

[0035] The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle may comprise a wheel lifting mechanism configured to lift the first wheel from ground. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle may comprise a further wheel lifting mechanism configured to lift the second wheel from ground.

[0036] The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle may comprise a plurality of wheel lifting mechanisms, and wherein a wheel lifting mechanism is provided for each of the wheels of the unmanned minefield clearing vehicle.

[0037] The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle may comprise a lateral wheel repositioning mechanism configured to move the first wheel in a direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle may comprise a further lateral wheel repositioning mechanism configured to move the second wheel in a direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the second wheel.

[0038] The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle may comprise a plurality of lateral wheel repositioning mechanisms, and wherein a lateral wheel repositioning mechanism is provided for each of the wheels of the unmanned minefield clearing vehicle.

[0039] The plurality of wheels may comprise six or more wheels. The plurality of wheels may comprise eight or more wheels.

[0040] The unmanned mine clearing vehicle may further comprise a mine detector configured to detect surface-scattered landmines and / or buried landmines in the vicinity of the vehicle. The control circuitry may be configured to determine the location of the mine based at least in part on information from the mine detector. The mine detector may comprise a ground penetrating radar scanner.

[0041] According to various, but not necessarily all, examples there is provided a charge for deactivating a landmine, the charge comprising: a housing; at least one of: an incendiary material or anexplosive material; a pin at least partially inserted into the housing; a latch engaged with the pin, wherein the latch is configured to prevent removal of the pin from the housing when the latch is engaged with the pin; and a pressure switch, wherein the pressure switch is configured to cause the latch to disengage from the pin when the pressure switch is activated, and wherein the charge is configured such that when the pin is removed from the housing the incendiary material or explosive material is caused to ignite substantially immediately or after a time delay.

[0042] The charge may comprise a delay component configured to cause a time delay between the removal of the pin from the housing and the ignition of the incendiary material or explosive material. The time delay may be at least 1 minute, at least 10 minutes, at least 1 hour, or at least 6 hours. The delay component may be configured to cause the incendiary material or explosive material to ignite at a predetermined time.

[0043] The pin may comprise a head for holding the pin. The pressure switch may be located at an opposite end of the charge to the head of the pin.

[0044] The pressure switch may comprise a push button switch.

[0045] The charge may comprise first and second electrical terminals, the charge being configured such that when the pin is removed from the housing, the first and second electrical terminals become electrically coupled, thereby completing an electrical circuit to cause, substantially immediately or after a time delay, the ignition of the incendiary material or explosive material. The first and second electrical terminals may be first and second electrical contacts, and the first and second electrical contacts may be located on opposing sides of the pin and be configured to come into contact with one another when the pin is removed from the housing to electrically couple the first and second electrical contacts.

[0046] The charge may further comprises a battery and an igniter. The charge may be configured such that a circuit including the battery, the delay component, and the igniter is completed when the first and second electrical terminals become electrically coupled.

[0047] The charge may include a removable cover, the removable cover covering the pressure switch.The charge may further comprise a support base, the support base being configured to stabilize the charge when the charge is deposited on the ground. The support base may be expandable from a collapsed configuration to an extended configuration. The support base may comprise a plurality of legs.

[0048] The removable cover may cover the support base. The support base may be configured to expand to the extended configuration when the removable cover is removed.

[0049] The charge may comprise an incendiary material. The incendiary material generates temperatures of at least 1000 °C, at least 1500 °C, at least 2000 °C, or at least 2500 °C when ignited. The incendiary material may comprise at least one of: thermite, magnesium or a pyrophoric material. The incendiary material may comprise thermite.

[0050] According to various, but not necessarily all, examples there is provided an unmanned minefield clearing vehicle, comprising: an auger; and control circuitry configured to: cause, based at least in part on a determined location of a mine, the auger to drill into the ground to remove earth located above the mine.

[0051] The control circuitry may be configured to cause, based at least in parton the determined location of the mine and a determined depth of the mine, the auger to drill into the ground to remove earth located above the mine.

[0052] The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle may further comprise means for limiting the force applied by the auger. The means for limiting the force applied by the auger may be the control circuitry, which is configured to limit the amount of force applied by the auger. The means for limiting the force applied by the auger may be a mechanical force limiter.

[0053] The control circuitry may be configured to cause the auger to drill up to a predetermined threshold distance from the mine in the vertical dimension.The control circuitry may be configured to cause, based at least in part on a determined central portion of the mine, the auger to drill into the ground along a vertical axis that does not intersect with the central portion of the mine.

[0054] According to various, but not necessarily all, examples there is provided a method comprising causing, based at least in part on a determined location of a mine that represents a hazard to an unmanned minefield clearing vehicle if the vehicle moves forwards through the minefield, the unmanned minefield clearing vehicle comprising a plurality of wheels configured to enable the vehicle to move forwards through a minefield, wherein the plurality of wheels includes a first wheel configured to rotate about an axis of rotation at least one of: lifting of a first wheel from ground; or movement of the first wheel in a first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel, in order to enable the vehicle to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine.

[0055] According to various, but not necessarily all, examples there is provided a method comprising carrying out any of the steps carried out by the control circuitry described in the preceding paragraphs.

[0056] According to various, but not necessarily all, examples there is provided an unmanned minefield clearing vehicle comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least a part of one or more methods described herein.

[0057] According to various, but not necessarily all, examples there is provided a computer program comprising program instructions for causing an unmanned minefield clearing vehicle to perform the method of any of the preceding paragraphs.

[0058] According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments there is provided an unmanned minefield clearing vehicle comprising means for performing at least part of one or more methods described herein. The description of a function and / or action should additionally be consideredto also disclose any means suitable for performing that function and / or action. Functions and / or actions described herein can be performed in any suitable way using any suitable method.

[0059] According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments there is provided examples as claimed in the appended claims.

[0060] While the above examples of the disclosure and optional features are described separately, it is to be understood that their provision in all possible combinations and permutations is contained within the disclosure. It is to be understood that various examples of the disclosure can comprise any or all the features described in respect of other examples of the disclosure, and vice versa. Also, it is to be appreciated that any one or more or all the features, in any combination, may be implemented by / comprised i n / performable by an apparatus, a method, and / or computer program instructions as desired, and as appropriate. The description of a function should additionally be considered to also disclose any means suitable for performing that function.

[0061] BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0062] Some examples will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 A shows a perspective view of an example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle;

[0063] FIG. 1B shows a plan view of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle;

[0064] FIG. 1C shows a front view of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle;

[0065] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle;

[0066] FIG. 3A shows a magnified view of a second wheel of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle in circle C of FIG. 2;

[0067] FIG. 3B shows a front view of the second wheel of FIG. 3A;

[0068] FIG. 4A shows a magnified view of a third wheel of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle in circle D of FIG. 2;

[0069] FIG. 4B shows a front view of the third wheel of FIG. 4A;

[0070] FIG. 5 shows a side view of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle;

[0071] FIG. 6A shows a cross-sectional view along the line A-A of FIG. 5, with the second wheel of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle being in a first lateral position;FIG. 6B shows the cross-sectional view of FIG. 6A, with the second wheel being in a second lateral position;

[0072] FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of an alternative example wheel and axle;

[0073] FIG. 8A shows a perspective view of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of FIG.

[0074] 1, with first, second, and third wheels of the vehicle being at an extended position;

[0075] FIG. 8B shows a perspective view of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle, with first, second, and third wheels of the vehicle being at a retracted position, and with a mine detector and a charge dispenser of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle being in a folded condition.

[0076] FIG. 9A shows a further perspective view of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle, with an auger rail shown in a see-through condition;

[0077] FIG. 9B shows a magnified view of an example auger of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle in circle A of FIG. 9A;

[0078] FIG. 9C shows a further magnified view of the example auger in circle B of FIG. 9B;

[0079] FIG. 10A shows a perspective view of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle, with the auger in a deployed configuration;

[0080] FIG. 10B shows a magnified view of the example auger of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle in circle A of FIG. 10A;

[0081] FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of an example charge for deactivating a landmine;

[0082] FIG. 12 shows a see-through perspective view of the example charge;

[0083] FIG. 13 shows a side view of the example charge;

[0084] FIG. 14A shows a cross-sectional view of the example charge along the line A-A of FIG. 13; FIG. 14B shows a perspective cross-sectional view of the example charge along the line A-A of FIG. 13;

[0085] FIG. 15 shows the cross-sectional view of FIG. 14A with electrical connections shown schematically in broken lines;

[0086] FIG. 16A shows a perspective view of the example charge, with a removable cover removed and a support base in an extended configuration;

[0087] FIG. 16B shows a plan view of the example charge of FIG. 16A;

[0088] FIG. 17 shows a cross-sectional view of the example charge, with the removable cover removed and a support base in a partially extended configuration;FIG. 18 shows a perspective view of a rear section of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of FIG. 1, including a plurality of example charges;

[0089] FIG. 19A shows a further perspective view of a rear section of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of FIG. 1, including a plurality of example charges, with a portion of a charge container of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle being shown broken-away; FIG. 19B shows a magnified view of an outlet of the charge container of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle in circle C of FIG. 19A, with a portion of a charge container of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle being shown broken-away;

[0090] FIGS. 20A-20C show a perspective view of the retrieval of an example charge from the outlet of the charge container of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle;

[0091] FIG. 21 shows a further perspective view of a rear section of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle;

[0092] FIGS. 22A-22C show a perspective view of the removal of a head of a pin of the example charge from a grip of a movable arm of the example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle;

[0093] FIG. 23 shows an example control schematic for the unmanned minefield clearing vehicle; FIG. 24 shows a further example control schematic for the unmanned minefield clearing vehicle; and

[0094] FIG. 25 shows a yet further example control schematic for the unmanned minefield clearing vehicle.

[0095] The figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain features and views of the figures can be shown schematically or exaggerated in scale in the interest of clarity and conciseness. For example, the dimensions of some elements in the figures can be exaggerated relative to other elements to aid explication. Similar reference numerals are used in the figures to designate similar features. For clarity, all reference numerals are not necessarily displayed in all figures.

[0096] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0097] Land may be planted with mines by a military force in order to prevent an opposing military force from crossing the land. Such mines include both surface-scattered and buried anti-personnel mines and anti-vehicle mines. Anti-personnel mines may trigger when a weight of 4kg - 50kg issensed. Anti-vehicle mines, such as anti-tank mines, may trigger when a weight of 100kg or more is sensed.

[0098] The opposing military force may wish to rapidly clear a path through the minefield in order to carry out a military operation. Alternatively a civilian operation may wish to clear the minefield to make the area safe for civilian use. Demining may involve attempting to trigger mines from a remote position, for example by using a line charge, electromagnetic impulses or mechanical devices such as tillers, flails, or rollers. Alternatively or additionally, mine ploughs may be used, which plough up the earth and push mines aside.

[0099] The figures illustrate an unmanned minefield clearing vehicle 1000, a charge 100 for deactivating a landmine and control circuitry 6. In this specification, the term “unmanned” means that there is no human driver, crew or passengers on-board the minefield clearing vehicle 1000. Said differently, the vehicle is configured to operate / travel without a human driver, crew or passengers on-board the vehicle 1000. No provision is made for a human driver, crew or passengers; that is, there is no cabin nor any seats to accommodate a human driver, crew or passengers. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle 1000 may be remotely controlled. Alternatively or additionally, the unmanned minefield clearing vehicle may be able to operate autonomously 1000.

[0100] FIGs 1A to 1 C, 2, 5, 8A, 8B, 9A and 10A illustrate perspective, plan, front and side views of the unmanned minefield clearing vehicle 1000. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle 1000 could also be referred to as an unmanned minefield breaching vehicle 1000. Cartesian co-ordinate axes are illustrated in the FIGs to enable the reader to orientate the FIGs relative to each other. Each of the x, y and z axes in the Cartesian co-ordinate axes defines a different spatial dimension. The y-axis extends from the rear to the front of the vehicle 1000, i.e., in a forwards direction. The length of the vehicle 1000 is aligned with the y-axis. The x-axis extends laterally from one side of the vehicle 1000 to the other side of the vehicle 1000. The width of the vehicle 1000 is aligned with the x-axis. The z-axis extends upwardly from the underside of the vehicle 1000 to the top of the vehicle 1000. The height of the vehicle 1000 is aligned with the z-axis.In the example vehicle 1000, the vehicle 1000 comprises a plurality of wheels 1100, a mine detector 1200 and a charge dispenser 1300. In this example, the vehicle 1000 further comprises a body 1500, to which the plurality of wheels 1100, the mine detector 1200, and charge dispenser 1300 are coupled. The body 1500 comprises a chassis / frame 1510.

[0101] The plurality of wheels 1100 are configured to enable the vehicle to move forwards through a minefield. The plurality of wheels includes a first wheel configured to rotate about an axis of rotation. In the example vehicle 1000, the plurality of wheels 1100 comprises six wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160, with each of the wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160 being configured to rotate about an axis of rotation. In other examples a different number of wheels could be provided.

[0102] Each of the wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160 may have a tyre thereon which is configured to contact the ground. A second wheel 1120 is shown in FIGs 3A, 3B, 6A and 6B, and the third wheel 1130 is shown in FIGs 4A and 4B. The second wheel 1120 and third wheel 1130 are substantially the same as the first wheel 1110 in this example. The tyre could, for example, be a pneumatic tyre or a (non-pneumatic) solid tyre. In some instances, the tyre could be further reinforced such that is more resistant to damage from a mine exploding underneath the tyre, such as by using aramid fibre in the tyre. In some examples, dual tyres may be provided for each wheel. In some examples, the vehicle 1000 could be a tracked vehicle. That is, the wheels 1100 may rotate inside tracks.

[0103] The wheels 1000 comprise a first set of wheels 1101 and a second set of wheels 1102, as shown best in FIG. 1 B. The first set of wheels 1101 and the second set of wheels 1102 are spaced from each other along the width dimension of the vehicle 1000, which is defined by the x-axis. Each set of wheels 1101, 1102 may comprise at least three wheels that are spaced from each other along the length dimension of the vehicle 1000. In the illustrated example, the first set of wheels 1101 is located one side of the vehicle 1000 and the second set of wheels 1102 is located at the other side of the vehicle 1000, where the two sides are located at the different ends of the width of the vehicle 1000. In this example, the first set of wheels 1101 includes first, second and third wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, which are spaced from each another along the length dimension of the vehicle 1000. The first wheel 1110 is in front of the second wheel 1120 and the second wheel1120 is in front of the third wheel 1130. In this example, the second set of wheels 1102 includes fourth, fifth and sixth wheels 1140, 1150, 1160, which are spaced from each another along the length dimension of the vehicle 1000. The fourth wheel 1140 is in front of the fifth wheel 1150 and the fifth wheel 1150 is in front of the sixth wheel 1160. In the illustrated example, none of the wheels in the first set of wheels 1101 shares an axle with any of the wheels in the second set of wheels 1102, though this is not necessarily the case in other examples.

[0104] The second wheel 1120 is shown best in FIGs 3A and 3B. The second wheel 1120 is mounted to a second axle 1620. In the example vehicle 1000, there is a corresponding axle for each of the other wheels 1110, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160. 1 n this example, the axles of the other wheels 1110, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160, such as the third axle 1630, are substantially the same as the second axle 1620, though the axles of the fourth, fifth and sixth wheels 1140, 1150, 1160 are mirrored as they are on the other side of the vehicle 1000. The axles 1620, 1630 are stub axles in this example.

[0105] The vehicle 1000 comprises one or more motors 60 for powering the plurality of wheels 1100. The one or more motors 60 may include a plurality of hub motors 1122. In this example, the one or more motors 60 comprises a hub motor 1122 incorporated into the hub of the second wheel 1122, as shown best in the cross sectional views of FIG. 7A and 7B. In some but not necessarily all examples, the hub motor 1122 comprises a hydraulic hub motor, such as a Poclain © MK04 hydraulic hub motor, a Poclain © MG02-MGE02 hydraulic hub motor, a Poclain © MS02-MSE02 hydraulic hub motor, or a Flowfit © FFPMT 500 hydraulic hub motor. The hydraulic pressure may be provided by a hydraulic pump (not shown) provided in the vehicle 1000, which is coupled to the hydraulic hub motor by one or more pipes (not shown). The pump could be powered by an engine (not shown) or an electrical power supply (e.g. one or more batteries) provided in the vehicle 1000. In other examples, the hub motor 1122 comprises an electric hub motor comprising a stator coupled to the axle 1620 and a rotor configured to rotate the wheel 1120. The electric hub motor could be powered by an electrical power supply (e.g. one or more batteries) provided in the vehicle 1000, which is coupled to the electric hub motor by one or more wires (not shown). In the example vehicle 1000, the one or more motors 60 comprises a hub motor 1122 incorporated into the hub of each of the wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160. Thus, in this example, each of the wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160 has independent motors1122 and each of the wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160 can be independently powered by the motors 1122, such that the wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160 are independently drivable.

[0106] The second axle 1620 is rotatable about a pivot 1621 in this example. The pivot 1621 could also be referred to as a hinge 1621. The pivot 1621 couples the second axle 1620 to the body 1500 of the vehicle 1000, such that the second axle 1620 and the second wheel 1120 are hinged relative to the body 1500. FIG. 3B shows the pivot 1621 through which the second axle 1620 is coupled to the chassis 1510 of the body 1500.

[0107] The example vehicle 1000 further comprises a wheel lifting mechanism 1710 configured to lift the second wheel 1120 from ground. The wheel lifting mechanism 1710 may be configured to lift the second wheel 1120 from ground by at least 20 cm, by at least 30 cm, or by at least 50 cm. The wheel lifting mechanism 1710 may be configured to lift the second wheel 1120 from ground by up to 1 m, such as from 20 cm to 1 m. The term “lift” refers to upwards vertical movement (i.e., upwards movement parallel to the z-axis). Lifting of the wheel 1120 can prevent the wheel 1120 from detonating landmines located under the wheel 1120. The wheel lifting mechanism 1710 may also be configured to lower the second wheel 1120 to the ground, after the wheel 1120 has been lifted. The wheel lifting mechanism 1710 may comprise an actuator configured to lift the second wheel 1120. In the example vehicle 1000, the actuator is in the form of a jack. The jack could for instance be a hydraulic jack, a pneumatic jack, or an electric jack. The jack is a pneumatic jack in the example vehicle 1000. The jack may be coupled to the chassis 1510 of the vehicle 1000 and the second axle 1620, so that the jack can urge the second axle 1620 vertically (and thereby the second wheel 1120) relative to the vehicle 1000. FIGs 3A and 3B show the second wheel 1120 on the ground in a first vertical position.

[0108] The third wheel 1130 and the third axle 1630 is substantially the same as the second wheel 1120 and second axle 1620, but the third wheel 1130 is located more rearwardly in the vehicle 1000. FIGs 4A and 4B show the third wheel 1130 and a further wheel lifting mechanism 1710, which is substantially the same as the wheel lifting mechanism 1710 for the second wheel 1120 shown in Figs. 3A and 3B. FIGs 4A and 4B show the third wheel 1130 off the ground in a second verticalposition, after the third wheel 1130 has been lifted off the ground by the further wheel lifting mechanism 1710.

[0109] As shown best in FIGs 5, 6A and 6B, the example vehicle 1000 further comprises a lateral wheel repositioning mechanism 1720 configured to move the second wheel 1120 in a direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the second wheel 1120. The lateral wheel repositioning mechanism 1720 may be configured to move the second wheel 1120 in a direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the second wheel 1120 by at least 20 cm, by at least 30 cm, or by at least 50 cm. The lateral wheel repositioning mechanism 1720 may be configured to move the second wheel 1120 in a direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the second wheel 1120 by up to 1 m, such as from 20 cm to 1 m. The movement in the direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the second wheel 1120 could also be described as lateral movement of the wheel. The term “laterally” refers to sidewards movement of the wheel. Sidewards / lateral movement of the wheel 1120 can prevent the wheel 1120 from rolling over landmines when the vehicle 1000 is moving forwards. FIG. 6A shows the second wheel 1120 in a first lateral position, and FIG. 6B shows the second wheel 1120 in a second lateral position, after the second wheel 1120 has been moved laterally.

[0110] The lateral wheel repositioning mechanism 1720 comprises an actuator configured to urge the second wheel 1120 laterally. In this example, the actuator of the lateral wheel repositioning mechanism 1720 is provided by the second axle 1620. In this example, the second axle 1620 is elongate and the second axle 1620 is extendable along the length dimension of the second axle 1620. The second axle 1620 may be extendable by pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric means. In the example of FIGs 6A and 6B, the second axle 1620 is hydraulically extendable, wherein the second axle 1620 includes an elongate barrel portion 1622 and a telescopic elongate actuator portion 1624. The barrel portion 1622 is for containing hydraulic pressure to urge the telescopic actuator portion 1624 along the length of the second axle 1620. The hydraulic pressure may be provided by an actuator in the form of a hydraulic pump (not shown) provided in the vehicle 1000, which is coupled to the barrel portion 1622 by one or more pipes (not shown). The telescopic actuator portion 1624 is coupled to the second wheel 1120, such that when the telescopic actuator portion 1624 is urged axially along the second axle 1620, the second wheel 1120 is moved laterally. The barrel portion 1620 and the telescopic actuator portion 1624 may eachinclude a stop 1623, 1625, the stops being configured to abut against one another to prevent the telescopic actuator portion 1624 from entirely exiting the barrel portion 1622.

[0111] FIG. 7 shows a cross sectional view across an alternative example unmanned minefield clearing vehicle, which is similar to the view of FIG 6A. The alternative example vehicle is similar to the example vehicle 1000 but includes a different wheel lifting mechanism 2710. The wheel lifting mechanism 2710 of FIG. 7 includes an actuator in the form of a hydraulic jack coupled to the chassis 2510 of the alternative example vehicle, instead of a pneumatic jack. The suspension 2750 for the wheel 2120 of the alternative example vehicle is also shown in FIG. 7, the suspension 2750 being coupled to both the chassis 2510 and the axle 2620. The axle 2620, the pivot 2621, the barrel portion 1622, the stops 1623, 1625, the telescopic actuator portion 2624, and the hub motor 2122 are also shown in FIG. 7.

[0112] In the example vehicle 1000, a wheel lifting mechanism 1710, 2710 is provided for each of the wheels 1110, 1120 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160 of the vehicle 1000 (i.e., all of the wheels have a separate wheel lifting mechanism). Therefore in the example vehicle 1000, each of the wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160 of the example vehicle 1000 can be lifted independently. In other examples, wheel lifting mechanisms 1710, 2710 may be provided for only some, or only one of the wheels 1110, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160 of the vehicle 1000. For instance, awheel lifting mechanism 1710, 2710 such as those shown in FIGs 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B or 7 might only be provided for the first wheel 1110 in some examples.

[0113] As described previously, in the example vehicle 1000, each of the wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160 is coupled to a different / separate axle. In other examples, opposing wheels along the width of the vehicle 1000 (e.g., the first wheel 1110 and the fourth wheel 1140 of the example vehicle 1000) could be coupled to opposing ends of the same axle (i.e., the opposing wheels form a wheelset). For instance, the example vehicle 1000 could be modified such that the first wheel 1110 and the fourth wheel 1140 are coupled the same shared axle that extends across the width of the vehicle from the first wheel 1110 to the fourth wheel 1140 (i.e., the first wheel 1110 and fourth wheel 1140 form a wheelset). In such examples, a wheel lifting mechanism 1710, 2710 could be provided for each axle, rather than for each wheel. Forinstance, the wheel lifting mechanism 1710, 2710 could lift the wheels coupled to opposing ends of thesame shared axle by lifting the whole shared axle. The shared axle may remain substantially parallel to the ground while being lifted.

[0114] In the example vehicle 1000, a lateral wheel repositioning mechanism 1720 is provided for each of the wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160 of the vehicle 1000 (i.e., all of the wheels have a separate lateral wheel repositioning mechanism). Therefore in the example vehicle 1000, each of the wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160 of the example vehicle 1000 can be laterally repositioned independently. In other examples, lateral wheel repositioning mechanisms 1720 may be provided for only some, or only one of the wheels 1110, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160 of the vehicle 1000. For instance, a lateral wheel repositioning mechanism 1720 such as that shown in FIGs 6A, 6B or 7 might only be provided for the first wheel 1110 in some examples.

[0115] As described previously, in the example vehicle 1000, each of the wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160 is coupled to a different / separate axle. In other examples, opposing wheels along the width of the vehicle 1000 (e.g., the first wheel 1110 and the fourth wheel 1140 of the example vehicle 1000) could be coupled to opposing ends of the same axle (i.e., the opposing wheels form a wheelset). For instance, the example vehicle 1000 could be modified such that the first wheel 1110 and the fourth wheel 1140 are coupled the same shared axle that extends across the width of the vehicle from the first wheel 1110 to the fourth wheel 1140 (i.e., the first wheel 1110 and fourth wheel 1140 form a wheelset). In such examples, a lateral wheel repositioning mechanism 1720 could be provided for each axle, rather than for each wheel. For instance, the lateral wheel repositioning mechanism 1720 could move the wheels coupled to opposing ends of the same shared axle laterally by moving the whole shared axle laterally (e.g., along a slider).

[0116] In the example vehicle 1000, the first, second and third wheels 1110, 1120, 1130 and corresponding axles 1620 are substantially the same as each other, but are located at different points along the length of the vehicle 1000. Similarly, in the example vehicle 1000, the fourth, fifth and sixth wheels 1140, 1150, 1160 and corresponding axles are substantially the same as each other, but are located at different points along the length of the vehicle 1000. In the example vehicle 1000, the fourth, fifth and sixth wheels 1140, 1150, 1160 and their corresponding axlessubstantially mirror the first, second and third wheels 1110, 1120, 1130 and their corresponding axles 1620. In other example vehicles, the wheels and axles may be different to one another.

[0117] The vehicle 1000 may comprise one or more cameras 1050 configured to capture images of the ground in the vicinity of the vehicle 1000. The one or more cameras 1050 may be configured to detect surface laid mines. The one or more cameras 1050 are shown best in FIGs 1A and 20A to 20C. As shown in Fig. 1A, a camera 1050 includes a frame, the frame being configured such that the camera can capture images of the ground in front of the vehicle 1000.

[0118] The vehicle 1000 may comprise one or more batteries for storing energy (not shown). The batteries may supply energy to various aspects of the vehicle 1000, such as any electric pumps and / or electric motors.

[0119] The vehicle 1000 may comprise one or more photovoltaic cells 1060, as shown in FIG. 1A. Each of the photovoltaic cells 1060 is configured to convert light into electricity using the photovoltaic effect. The purpose of the one or more photovoltaic cells 1060 is to generate electricity for use in powering the vehicle 1000. The photovoltaic cells 1060 may generate electrical energy for storage in the one or more batteries. Each of the photovoltaic cells 1060 comprises a light sensitive surface. The light sensitive surface may be directly upwards when the vehicle is in use (e.g., situated on or travelling along ground).

[0120] The vehicle 1000 may comprise one or more smoke grenade launchers (not shown). The smoke grenade launchers may be located at the front of the vehicle body 1500. The smoke grenade launchers may be configured to launch smoke grenades. The smoke grenades launched by the launchers may be configured to emit smoke on detonation to screen the vehicle 1000 from enemies. This may make it more difficult for enemies to target the vehicle 1000. The smoke grenade launchers may, for example, launch smoke grenades when the vehicle 1000 is moving.

[0121] FIG. 8A shows the example mine clearing vehicle 1000 in an extended configuration. The first, second and third wheels 1110, 1120, 1130 are fully extended laterally outwardly. FIG. 8B shows the example mine clearing vehicle 1000 in a folded transport configuration. The first, second andthird wheels 1110, 1120, 1130 are fully retracted laterally inwardly. The mine detector 1200 is foldable as shown in FIG. 8B. The charge dispenser 1300 is foldable as shown in FIG. 8B.

[0122] The mine detector 1200 is configured to detect mines in the vicinity of (i.e. adjacent to) the vehicle 1000. In particular, the mine detector 1200 is configured to detect surface-scattered landmines and / or buried landmines in the vicinity of the vehicle 1000. The mine detector 1200 may be configured to detect the location and / or the depth of the mines. The mine detector 1200 could also be referred to as a scanner 1200.

[0123] As shown best in FIG. 1A, in the example vehicle 1000, the mine detector 1200 is mounted to the body 1500 of the vehicle and extends in front of the body 1500 of the vehicle 1000. The mine detector 1200 may be hingedly connected to the body 1500 of the vehicle 1000. The mine detector 1200 is mounted to the front of the example vehicle 1000. The mine detector 1200 includes a scanning module 1210 and a mounting frame 1220 for securing the scanning module 1210 to the body 1500 of the vehicle 100. The mounting frame 1220 may be configured to hold the scanning module 1210 above the ground whilst the vehicle 1000 is moving. In some but not necessarily all examples, the scanning module 1210 comprises a ground penetrating radar scanner (not shown). In such examples the mine detector 1200 may be referred to as a ground penetrating radar mine detector.

[0124] The vehicle 1000 may further comprise an auger 1800, as best shown in FIGs 9A to 9C, 10A, and 10B. The auger 1800 is configured to drill into the ground. The removal of insulating earth material from above the mine allows the mine to more readily be destroyed, for instance using one or more charges 100. The auger 1800 may be oriented towards the ground (i.e., be substantially aligned with the z-axis). The auger 1800 comprises a drill 1810 and a linear actuator (not shown), such as a pneumatic actuator. The linear actuator is configured to urge the drill 1810 along a vertical dimension (in other words, towards or away from the ground, or along the z-axis). In the example of FIGs 9A to 9C, 10A, and 10B, the auger 1800 comprises a drill casing 1810 for locating the drill 1820. The drill 1810 is locatable in the drill casing 1820 and is selectively deployable from the drill casing 1820. FIGs 9A to 9C show the drill 1810 in a retracted configuration, and FIGs 10A and 10B show the drill 1810 in a deployed configuration.The auger 1800 may include a blower (not shown) configured to blow air or another gas into the hole in the ground produced by the auger. The blower may comprise a fan and / or a compressed air / gas canister. The flowing air produced by the blower can clear more earth from above the mine.

[0125] In the example vehicle 1000, the auger 1800 is mounted to the mine detector 1200. In other examples, the auger 1800 could be mounted to other parts of the vehicle 1000. As shown best in FIGs 9B, 9C and 10B, the example auger 1800 includes an auger rail 1830, along which the drill 1810 is movable. The auger rail 1830 may be substantially horizontal. In other words, the auger rail 1830 may be substantially perpendicular to the ground and be substantially parallel to the x-axis. The example auger 1800 further includes an auger carriage 1840, which is movable along the auger rail 1830. The auger carriage 1840 may comprise one or more wheels 1842. The auger carriage 1840 may include an actuator (not shown) configured to urge the carriage 1840 along the rail 1830. In this example, the auger rail 1830 includes a rack 1832 and the actuator comprises a powered pinion for urging the auger carriage 1840 along the auger rail 1830. The drill 1810 is coupled to the carriage 1840 in this example.

[0126] The example vehicle 1000 may further comprise a marking agent dispenser 1900, as best shown in FIGs 9A to 9C, 10A, and 10B. The marking agent dispenser 1900 is configured to apply a marking agent to the ground. The marking agent dispenser 1900 may be oriented towards the ground (i.e., be substantially aligned with the z-axis). The marking agent may be a liquid or a solid powder, such as coloured powder or paint or ultraviolet (UV) powder or paint. The example marking agent dispenser 1900 of FIGs 9A to 9C, 10A, and 10B includes a spray nozzle 1910 configured to spray the marking agent towards the ground. The spray nozzle 1910 is mounted to the drill casing 1820 of the auger 1800 in this example, but in other examples the spray nozzle 1910 may be provided separately to the auger 1800.

[0127] In the example of FIGs 9A to 9C, 10A, and 10B, the marking agent dispenser 1900 is mounted to the mine detector 1200. In other examples, the marking agent dispenser 1900 could be mounted to other parts of the vehicle 1000. As shown best in FIGs 9B, 9C and 10B, the example marking agent dispenser 1900 includes a marking agent dispenser rail 1930, along which the spray nozzle 1910 is movable. The marking agent dispenser rail 1930 is the same as the augerrail 1830 in this example, but in other examples these may be different rails. The marking agent dispenser rail 1930 may be substantially horizontal. In other words, the marking agent dispenser rail 1930 may be substantially perpendicular to the ground and be substantially parallel to the x-axis. The example marking agent dispenser 1900 further includes a marking agent dispenser carriage 1940, which is movable along the marking agent dispenser rail 1930. The marking agent dispenser carriage 1940 may comprise one or more wheels 1942. The marking agent dispenser carriage 1940 may include an actuator (not shown) configured to urge the carriage 1940 along the rail 1930. In this example, the marking agent dispenser rail 1930 includes a rack 1932 and the actuator comprises a powered pinion for urging the marking agent dispenser carriage 1940 along the marking agent dispenser rail 1930. The marking agent dispenser carriage 1940 is the same as the auger carriage 1840 in this example, but in other examples these may be different carriages. The spray nozzle 1910 is coupled to the carriage 1940 in this example.

[0128] The charge dispenser 1300 is configured to deploy one or more charges from the vehicle. An example charge 100 for deactivating a landmine is shown in FIGs 11 to 17. The charge 100 could also be referred to as a munition 100 for deactivating a landmine. The charge dispenser 1300 is a means for disabling the mine. Additionally or alternatively to the example charge dispenser 1300, other means for disabling the mine could be included in the vehicle. The other means could for instance include electromagnetic impulses or mechanical devices such as tillers, flails, rollers, or mine ploughs.

[0129] In some but not necessarily all examples, such as the example charge 100 shown in FIGs 11 to 17, the one or more charges comprise an incendiary material 120. The incendiary material 120 may comprise at least one of: thermite, magnesium, or a pyrophoric material. The incendiary material 120 of the example charge 100 comprises thermite. Thermite comprises a metal oxide and a metal powder. The metal oxide could for instance be iron (III) oxide, copper (II) oxide or chromium (III) oxide. The metal powder could for instance be aluminium powder or magnesium powder. Where the incendiary material comprises a pyrophoric material, the pyrophoric material may comprise fine zirconium powder, fine magnesium powder, or triethylaluminium.

[0130] The incendiary material 120 may generate temperatures of at least 1000 °C, at least 1500 °C, at least 2000 °C, or at least 2500 °C when ignited. The high temperatures generated by theincendiary material are able to disable a landmine. In some examples, an explosive material could be used instead of, or in addition to, the incendiary material 120.

[0131] As shown best in the see through view of FIG. 12, and the cross-sectional views of FIGs 14A and 14B, the example charge 100 further includes a housing 110, a pin 130 at least partially inserted into the housing 110, a latch 140 engaged with the pin, and a pressure switch 150. The charge 100 is configured such that when the pin 130 is removed from the housing 110 the incendiary material 120 or explosive material is caused to ignite substantially immediately or after a time delay.

[0132] In the example charge 100, the incendiary material 120 and the latch 140 are located inside the housing 110. The example housing 110 is elongate. The elongate dimension is substantially parallel to the line A-A shown in FIG. 13. As shown in FIG. 11, the housing 110 may be substantially cylindrical in shape. The housing could be differently shaped in other examples. In some examples, the housing 110 includes a plurality of serrations to facilitate the incendiary material 120 or the explosive material exiting the housing 110 once ignited. The housing may include a lid 112.

[0133] The charge 100 is configured such that when the pin 130 is removed from the housing 110 the incendiary material 120 or explosive material is caused to ignite substantially immediately or after a time delay. As described in further detail below, there may be a time delay between the removal of the pin 130 from the housing 110 and the ignition of the incendiary material 120 or explosive material. In this example, the charge 100 comprises first and second electrical terminals 135, 137, shown best in FIGs 14A, 14B and 15. FIG. 15 schematically shows the electrical connections in the example charge 100 in broken lines. The charge 100 is configured such that when the pin 130 is removed from the housing 110, the first and second electrical terminals 135, 137 become electrically coupled, thereby completing an electrical circuit that causes, substantially immediately or after a time delay, the ignition of the incendiary material 120 or explosive material. In the example charge, the first electrical terminal 135 is located on an opposite side of the pin 130 to the second electrical terminal 137.In some examples, the first and second electrical terminals 135, 137 are electrical contacts configured to come into contact with one another when the pin 130 is removed from the housing 110 to electrically couple the first and second electrical terminals 135, 137. For instance, the first electrical contact 135 may be resiliently biased (e.g. with a spring) towards the second electrical contact 137 and / or the second electrical contact 137 may be resiliently biased (e.g. with a spring) towards the first electrical contact 135, to ensure the first and second electrical contacts 135, 137 become electrically coupled when the pin 130 is removed from the housing 110.

[0134] The pin 130 is partially inserted into the housing 110 in the example charge 100. The pin 130 is inserted into (and removable from) the housing 110 along a first dimension 50, labelled in FIG.

[0135] 14A. In this example, the first dimension 50 is substantially parallel to the length dimension of the housing 110. The example pin 130 of FIGs 11 to 17 includes a pin head 132 located outside of the housing 110 and a pin shank 134 located inside the housing 110. The head 132 of the pin 130 is for holding the pin 130. In the example charge 100, the pin head 132 is a handle for being gripped. The handle may be substantially spherical in shape. In other examples, the pin head 132 could be a loop for hooking.

[0136] The latch 140 is engaged with the pin 130 and is configured to prevent removal of the pin from the housing 110, when the latch 140 is engaged with the pin 130. The latch 140 may be configured to prevent removal of the whole pin 130 from the housing 110. In other words, the latch is configured to retain the pin 130 in the housing 110. In this example, the latch 140 and the pin 130 each include an engagement formation 136, 142, wherein the engagement formation 142 of the latch 140 is configured to engage with the engagement formation 136 of the pin 130, to prevent removal of the pin 130 from the housing 110. In the example shown in FIGs 14A, 14B and 15, the engagement formation 136 of the pin 130 is a hole 136, and the engagement formation 142 of the latch 140 is a projection 142 for insertion into the hole 136 in the pin 130.

[0137] The pressure switch 150 is configured to cause the latch 140 to disengage from the pin 130 when the pressure switch 150 is activated. This could be via a mechanical linkage or an electrical connection. In other words, the pressure switch 150 is configured such that when the pressure switch 150 is activated, the configuration of the latch 140 is changed such that the latch 140 no longer prevents removal of the pin from the housing 110. In this example, when the pressureswitch 150 is activated, the engagement formation 142 of the latch 140 is caused to disengage from the engagement formation 136 of the pin 130, to allow removal of the pin 130 from the housing 110. The latch 140 may include an actuator (not shown) configured to disengage the latch 140 from the pin 130 when the pressure switch 150 is activated. The actuator may comprise an electric motor.

[0138] The pressure switch 150 may be activated when pressure is applied to the pressure switch 150 parallel to the first dimension 50, shown in FIG. 14A. In this example, the pressure switch 150 is an electrical switch. In particular, the pressure switch 150 comprises a push button switch. The pressure switch 150 may include an electrical contact 152, which is configured to close when the pressure switch 150 is activated. Where the pressure switch 150 is a push button switch, when the switch is activated when the button is pressed. The push button switch may comprise a resilient portion. The resilient portion may comprise a spring 154, as shown in FIGs 14Aand 14B. The pressure switch 150 may be located at an opposite end of the charge 100 to the head 132 of the pin 100. In other words, the pressure switch 150 may be located at the bottom of the charge 100 and the head 132 of the pin 100 may be located at the top of the charge 100.

[0139] A removable cover 156 is provided in the example charge 100. The removable cover covers the pressure switch 150 in the example charge 100, as shown best in FIG. 14B. The removable cover 156 can prevent accidental activation of the pressure switch 150. The removable cover 156 may be removably coupled to the housing 110 by an interference fit. The removable cover 156 may include a flange 158 to facilitate removal of the removable cover 156. The flange 158 may be provided at a thickened section (i.e., thicker than adjacent section(s)) of the removable cover 156, to provide a larger surface to push the removable cover 156. The flange 158 may be provided at a tapered section of the removable cover 156.

[0140] The charge 100 may further comprise a delay component 160. The delay component 160 is configured to cause a time delay between the removal of the pin 130 from the housing 110 and the ignition of the incendiary material 120 or explosive material. The time delay could be at least 1 minute, at least 10 minutes, at least 1 hour, or at least 6 hours. The delay component 160 may be an electronic timer. In some examples, the delay component 160 may be configured to cause the charge 100 to ignite at a predetermined time (i.e., a set time, irrespective of when the pin 130is removed from the housing 110). The predetermined time may be substantially the same as the predetermined time of a second charge 100, such that the charges are configured to ignite substantially simultaneously. In other examples, the delay component 160 may be configured to cause the charge 100 to ignite after a predetermined amount of time after the time at which the pin 130 is removed from the housing 110 (i.e., a set amount of time after the removal of the pin 130).

[0141] The charge 100 may further comprise an igniter 170. The igniter 170 is configured to ignite the incendiary material 120 or explosive material. The igniter 170 may be located adjacent to the incendiary material 120 or explosive material. The igniter 170 may comprise at least one of: an electric match; a detonator; thermite powder; magnesium powder; or any other suitable ignition material.

[0142] The charge 100 may further comprise an arming switch 190. In some examples, the arming switch is an electronic switch. The arming switch 190 is configured such that when the arming switch 190 is activated by a user (e.g., the arming switch 190 has been pressed by a user), the latch 140 is able to disengage from the pin 130. The arming switch 190 is further configured such that when the arming switch 190 is deactivated (e.g., the arming switch 190 has not been pressed by a user), the latch 140 is unable to disengage from the pin 130 (e.g., by deactivating the actuator of the latch 140). The charge may include an indicator light 195, the indicator light 195 being configured to emit light when the arming switch 190 has been activated.

[0143] The charge 100 may further comprise a battery 180. The battery 180 may supply energy to for instance the igniter 170, the delay component 160 and / or the latch 140.

[0144] FIG. 15 shows the electrical connections of the example charge 100 in broken lines. As illustrated, the pressure switch 150 can complete a first circuit between the battery 180 and the latch 140, when the pressure switch 150 is pressed. The completion of this first circuit may cause the latch 140 to disengage from the pin 130, for instance by activating the actuator of the latch 140. Once the latch 140 has disengaged from the pin 130, the pin 130 can be removed from the housing 110. If the pin 130 is removed from the housing 110, firstand second electrical terminals 135, 137 can come into contact, thereby completing a second circuit. The second circuit in theexample charge 100 includes the battery 180, the delay component 160, and the igniter 170. When the second circuit is complete, the incendiary material 120 or explosive material is caused to ignite substantially immediately or after a time delay. For example, the battery 180 can supply power to the igniter 170 to cause the igniter 170 to ignite the incendiary material 120 or explosive material. The delay component can delay the ignition of incendiary material 120 or explosive material after the pin 130 has been removed from the housing 110, for instance by delaying the delivery of power to the igniter 170.

[0145] In some but not necessarily all examples, the charge 100 includes a support base 155. The support base 155 is configured to stabilise the charge 100 when the charge is deposited on a mine or the ground, thereby lowering the risk of the charge 100 tipping over when the charge 100 is deposited. The example charge 100 includes an expandable support base 155. The expandable support base 155 is expandable from a collapsed configuration to an extended configuration. The support base 155 may be expandable in a dimension substantially perpendicular to the first dimension 50, as shown in FIG. 17. The collapsed configuration is shown is FIGs 11 to 15 and the extended configuration is shown in FIGs 16A and 16B. FIG. 17 shows a partially extended configuration. In the collapsed configuration, the removable cover 156 covers the support base 155 in this example. The removable cover 156 may be configured to constrain the support base to limit expansion of the support base 155. The support base 155 may be configured to expand to the extended configuration when the removable cover 156 is removed. For instance, the support base 155 may be resiliency biased towards the extended configuration, such that when the when the removable cover 156 is removed, the support base 155 automatically expands to the extended configuration. The support base 155 may be made from a resilient material, such as spring steel or a resilient plastics material.

[0146] In this example, the support base 155 comprises a plurality of legs 157, as shown in FIGs 16A and 16B. The support base 155 may include two, three, four, or more than four legs 157. As shown best in FIGs 12 and 14B, the legs 157 may be folded in the collapsed configuration, and may be configured to unfold when the removable cover 156 is removed. The legs 157 may be resiliency biased to unfold. In this example, the legs 157 unfold substantially perpendicularly to the first dimension 50, shown in FIG. 17.In the example charge 100, the support base 155 is mechanically coupled to the pressure switch 150, such that pressure applied to the support base 155 is applied to the pressure switch 150. Pressure applied to the support base 155 can therefore activate the pressure switch 150.

[0147] The charge dispenser 1300 of the example vehicle 1000 is shown best in FIGs 18 to 22. The charge dispenser 1300 of the example vehicle 1000 includes a charge container 1310 and a charge depositor 1320.

[0148] As shown in FIGs 18 and 19A, the charge container 1310 is for containing a plurality of charges, such as the example charges 100, on the vehicle 1000. The charge container 1310 comprises a receptacle 1312 for locating the charges. The receptacle 1312 includes a base, side walls and an outlet 1316 for the charges 100. The base of the receptacle 1312 may be substantially flat / planar. In this example, the receptacle 1312 includes an actuator configured to urge the charges towards the outlet 1316. The actuator is in the form of one or more vibration motors 1314 in the example vehicle 1000, such that the receptacle is a vibrating receptacle 1312. The base of the receptacle 1312 is inclined (relative to ground) downwardly towards the outlet 1316. Therefore, when the vibrating receptacle 1312 vibrates, the charges 100 move towards the outlet 1316. The receptacle 1312 may include a narrowed section adjacent to the outlet 1316. The width (between opposing walls) of the narrowed section may be less than the width of two charges 100. The narrowed section ensures that only one charge 100 arrives at the outlet 1316 at a time. In some examples, the charge container 1310 may comprise a plurality of receptacles 1312. Instead of the vibration motor(s) 1314, in some examples the actuator may comprise a linear actuator, such as a pneumatic actuator, the linear actuator being configured to push the charges 100.

[0149] The charge depositor 1320 includes a movable arm 1322 configured to deposit a charge (e.g. onto the ground), as shown best in FIG. 21. The movable arm 1322 could also be described as a robotic arm 1322. The charge could be the example charge 100. The movable arm 1322 may be configured to deposit a charge 100 at a determined location of a mine. The movable arm 1322 may further be configured to retrieve a charge 100 from the charge container 1310. The movable arm 1322 may be configured to retrieve the charge 100 from the outlet 1316 by lifting the charge 100 from the outlet 1316. The movable arm 1322 may be configured to hold a charge 100 bygripping the pin 130 of the charge 100, as shown in FIGs 20Ato 20C. In particular, the movable arm 1322 may be configured to hold a charge 100 by gripping the head 132 of the pin 130 of the charge 100. The movable arm 1322 includes a grip 1323 for holding a charge 100. The grip 1323 is provided at a distal end of the movable arm 1322 in the example vehicle 1000. The grip 1323 may comprise a hook or jaws.

[0150] In some examples, the outlet 1316 comprises a sensor configured to detect when a charge 100 has been removed from the outlet 1316. For instance, the sensor may be a light detector or a weight sensor. The actuator of the receptacle 1316 may be configured to activate in response to the sensor detecting that a charge 100 has been removed from the outlet 1316.

[0151] The movable arm 1322 may be movable laterally (i.e. from side-to-side) across the vehicle 1000. In this example, the charge depositor 1320 includes a charge depositor rail 1324, along which the arm can move laterally, which is shown best in FIGs 18 and 21. The charge depositor rail 1324 may be substantially horizontal. In other words, the charge depositor rail 1324 may be substantially parallel to the ground and be substantially parallel to the x-axis. The charge depositor 1320 further includes a charge depositor carriage 1325, which is movable along the charge depositor rail 1324. The charge depositor carriage 1325 may comprise one or more wheels. The charge depositor carriage 1325 may include an actuator (not shown) configured to urge the carriage 1325 along the rail 1324. In this example, the charge depositor rail 1324 includes a rack (not shown) and the actuator comprises a powered pinion for urging the charge depositor carriage 1325 along the charge depositor rail 1324. The movable arm 1322 is coupled to the charge depositor carriage 1325 in this example.

[0152] The movable arm 1322 may be movable vertically (i.e. up and down). In this example, the charge depositor 1320 includes a vertically retractable cable 1326 to which the movable arm 1322 is mechanically coupled, which is shown best in FIGs 18 and 21. The movable arm 1322 may hang vertically from the vertically retractable cable 1326. The vertically retractable cable 1326 may comprise an actuator 1327 for releasing or retracting the cable. In this example, the actuator 1327 comprises a motorised rotatable cable drum, around which cable is wrapped. Rotation of the cable drum causes the cable to release or retract, depending on the direction of rotation of the drum. The actuator 1327 can therefore lift or lower the movable arm 1322. The verticallyretractable cable 1326 may further comprise a guide formation 1329 to stabilise the movable arm 1322.

[0153] The example movable arm 1322 is rotatable. The movable arm 1322 may comprise a rotary motor 1328 configured to rotate the arm in a plane substantially perpendicular to the vertical dimension (i.e., substantially parallel to ground). The grip 1323 may be provided at a distal end of the movable arm 1322, as shown in FIGs 20A to 20C and 22Ato 22C.

[0154] FIGs 20A to 20C illustrate the movable arm 1322 retrieving a charge 100 from the outlet 1316 of the charge container 1310. As shown in FIGs 20A to 20C, the movable arm 1322 rotates such that the grip 1323 engages with the head 132 of the pin 130 of the charge 100. The movable arm 1322 is then raised vertically to remove the charge 100 from the outlet 1316 of the charge container 1310. As shown in the cutaway view of FIG. 19B, the outlet 1316 of the charge container 1310 may comprise a lip 1317. The lip 1317 is configured to engage with the flange 158 of the removable cover 156 of the charge 100 when the charge 100 is removed from the outlet 1316, such that the removable cover 156 of the charge 100 is removed when the charge 100 is retrieved from the outlet 1316 by the movable arm 1322. When the charge 100 is raised from the outlet 1316, the lip 1317 abuts against the flange 158 of the removable cover 156 to push the removable cover 156 downwardly and remove the removable cover 156 from the charge 100.

[0155] The movable arm 1322 may then be moved horizontally and vertically to the location to which the charge is to be placed, as shown for instance in FIG. 21. The location may be a determined location of a mine. When the charge 100 is placed on a surface / ground, the pressure switch 150 is activated, thereby disengaging the latch 140 from the pin 130 and enabling the pin 130 to be removed from the housing 110. The movable arm 1322 may then be raised vertically. As the movable arm 1322 is holding the charge 100 by the pin 130, the pin 130 remains gripped by the movable arm 1322 and the remainder of the charge 100 (excluding the pin 130) remains on the ground. The movable arm 1322 can then return to the outlet 1316 the outlet 1316 of the charge container 1310 to grip another charge 100.FIGs 22A to 22C illustrate the removal of the pin 130 from the grip 1323 of the movable arm 1322 after the charge 100 has been deposited. The outlet 1316 of the charge container 1310 may comprise a slot 1318. The movable arm 1322 may be configured to rotate through the slot 1318 of the outlet, such that the pin 130 abuts against the rim of the slot 1318, thereby dislodging the pin 130 from the grip 1323 of the movable arm 1322.

[0156] FIGs 23 to 25 illustrate control schematics for the example mine clearing vehicle 1000. The vehicle 1000 may comprise control circuitry 6 and memory 8. The control circuitry 6 may be implemented in hardware alone, have certain aspects in software including firmware alone or can be a combination of hardware and software (including firmware).

[0157] The control circuitry 6 may be configured to use executable instructions of a computer program 7 in a general-purpose or special-purpose processor that may be stored on a computer readable storage medium (disk, memory etc.) to be executed by such a processor.

[0158] The control circuitry 6 is configured to read from and write to the memory 8. The control circuitry 6 may also comprise an output interface via which data and / or commands are output by the control circuitry 6 and an input interface via which data and / or commands are input to the control circuitry 6.

[0159] The memory 8 stores a computer program 7 comprising computer program instructions (computer program code) that controls the operation of the vehicle 100 when loaded into the control circuitry 6. The computer program instructions, of the computer program 7, provide the logic and routines that enables the control circuitry 6 to perform the methods described herein. The control circuitry 6, by reading the memory 8, is able to load and execute the computer program 7.

[0160] Although the memory 8 is illustrated as a single component / circuitry, it may be implemented as one or more separate components / circuitry some or all of which may be integrated / removable and / or may provide permanent / semi-permanent / dynamic / cached storage.Although the control circuitry 6 is illustrated as a single component / circuitry, it may be implemented as one or more separate components / circuitry some or all of which may be integrated / removable. The control circuitry 6 may be a single core or multi-core processor.

[0161] The vehicle 100 may comprise one or more transceivers 20 configured to transmit and / or receive signals. The one or more transceivers 20 may be one or more radio frequency transceivers 20 that are configured to transmit and receive radio frequency signals. The one or more transceivers 20 are configured to provide inputs to the control circuitry 6, based at least in part on received radio signals, and to receive outputs from the control circuitry 6 for use when transmitting radio signals. The one or more transceivers 20 enable the vehicle 1000 to communicate with remote entities. For example, the transceiver(s) 20 may receive control data relating to the operation of the vehicle 1000, which is provided to the control circuitry 6. The transceiver(s) 20 may receive sensor data or mine location data from other vehicles (e.g., drones) or a control centre. The control circuitry 6 may control the transceiver(s) 20 to transmit status information about the vehicle 1000.

[0162] The vehicle 1000 may be remotely controlled by a remote operator. The remote operator might be a human. For example, the remote operator might cause a radio transmitter to send control data to the transceiver(s) 20, which are received by the transceiver(s) 20 and provided to the control circuitry 6. Status information that is transmitted by the transceiver(s) 20 may be sent to the remote operator and may, for example, include the (current) location of the vehicle 1000.

[0163] As illustrated in FIGs 23 to 25, the vehicle 1000 may comprise one or more sensors 30. The one or more sensors 30 are configured to provide inputs to the control circuitry 6. The sensor(s) 30 may be configured to determine data that can be used by the control circuitry 6 or a remote operator to determine how to control the vehicle 1000 and / or cause the vehicle 1000 to respond to events.

[0164] The sensors 30 might, for example, include one or more optical sensors. The optical sensor(s) could include the cameras 1050 of the example vehicle 1000 described herein that are configured to capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1000. The optical sensor(s) could include UV sensors that are configured to detect a UV marking agent that has been dispensed by themarking agent dispenser 1900. The sensor(s) 30 might, for example, include location sensing circuitry to determine the location of the vehicle 1000 (which may, for example, operate in accordance with the Global Positioning System (GPS) or the Galileo system).

[0165] In some implementations, the vehicle 100 may be autonomous in that it may operate autonomously without being controlled by a remote human operator. In such implementations, the sensors 30 may include at least one of: 4D radar sensors, light detecting sensors; and / or ranging (LiDAR) sensors.

[0166] The sensor(s) 30 may include one or more odometry sensors that are for sensing the position of the vehicle 1000 and / or whether an explosion has occurred local to the vehicle 1000 (e.g., underneath the vehicle 1000). Such explosions may be due to the detonation of a mine local to the vehicle 1000. The sensor(s) 30 for this purpose may, for example, include: one or more accelerometers and / or one or more gyroscopic sensors.

[0167] The sensor(s) 30 may include one or more sensors that are for determining whether damage to the vehicle 1000 has occurred. Such sensor(s) 30 may, for example, include one or more cameras, one or more sensors that detect a break in an electric circuit or one or more pressure sensors.

[0168] The control circuitry 6 may be configured to determine a location of the mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle 1000 if the vehicle 1000 moves forwards through the minefield. The location of the mine may be determined by the control circuitry 6 based at least in part on: information received from the mine detector 1200; information received from the sensor(s) 30; and / or information received at the transceiver(s) 20. The information may comprise at least one of: scanning data (e.g., ground penetrating radar data); and / or sensor data (e.g., location data such as GPS data, odometry data, and / or image data). The determined location may be stored in the memory 8. Alternatively or additionally, the control circuitry 6 may receive a signal (e.g., from the transceiver(s) 20, the memory 8, the sensor(s) 30 and / or the mine detector 1200) comprising information indicating a determined location of a mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle 1000 if the vehicle 1000 moves forwards through the minefield. The determined location could be based on any type of coordinate system. For example, the determined location may be basedon: a universal coordinate system (e.g., a GPS location); a coordinate system calculated relative to the location of the vehicle 1000 (e.g., an inertial navigation system location), and / or a combination of these systems.

[0169] As shown in FIG. 23, the control circuitry 6 is configured to control the wheel lifting mechanism 1710 of the first wheel 1110 and / or the lateral wheel repositioning mechanism 1720 of the first wheel 1110. In the example vehicle 1000, the control circuitry 6 may be configured to control the actuator of the wheel lifting mechanism 171 O to cause lifting of the first wheel 1110 from ground. In the example vehicle 1000, the control circuitry 6 may be configured to control the actuator of the lateral wheel repositioning mechanism 1720 to cause movement of the first wheel 1110 in a first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110.

[0170] The control circuitry 6 may be configured to cause, based at least in part on a determined location of a mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle 1000 if the vehicle 1000 moves forwards through the minefield, at least one of: lifting of the first wheel 1110 from ground; or movement of the first wheel 1110 in a first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110, in order to enable the vehicle 1000 to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine. The term “beyond” as used herein means beyond in the forward direction. The determining the location of the mine by the control circuitry 6 or the receiving a signal comprising information indicating the determined location of the mine by the control circuitry 6 described in the paragraph above may be carried out prior to causing the at least one of: lifting of the first wheel 1110 from ground; or movement of the first wheel 1110 in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110. In some examples, the control circuitry 6 may cause both: lifting of the first wheel 1110 from ground; and movement of the first wheel 1110 in a first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110, in order to enable the vehicle 1000 to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine.

[0171] In some examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to cause lifting of the first wheel 1110 from ground by at least 20 cm, by at least 30 cm, or by at least 50 cm, in order to enable the vehicle 1000 to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine. In some examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to causelifting of the first wheel 1110 from ground by up to 1 m (such as 20 cm - 1 m), in order to enable the vehicle 1000 to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine. In some examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to cause movement of the first wheel 1110 in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110 by at least 20 cm, by at least 30 cm, or by at least 50 cm, in order to enable the vehicle 1000 to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine. In some examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to cause movement of the first wheel 1110 in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110 by up to 1 m (such as 20 cm - 1 m), in order to enable the vehicle 1000 to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine.

[0172] The movement of the first wheel 1110 in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110 may comprise translational movement of the first wheel 1110 in a direction parallel to or co-incident with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110. The movement of the first wheel 1110 in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110 may comprise movement the first wheel 1110 in a direction parallel to or co-incident with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110 while maintaining the orientation of the first wheel 1110. The movement of the first wheel 1110 in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110 may comprise movement of the entire first wheel 1110 in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110.

[0173] The control circuitry 6 is configured to control the one or more motors 60 to cause the vehicle 1000 to move forwards or backwards. In the example vehicle 1000, the one or more motors 60 may comprise one, some, or all of the hub motors 1122 of the plurality of wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160. The control circuitry 6 may be configured to cause, after at least one of: lifting of the first wheel 1110 from ground or movement of the first wheel 1110 in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110, the vehicle 1000 to move forwards through the minefield such that the first wheel 1110 is beyond the determined location of the mine.

[0174] In some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine, lifting of the first wheel 1110 from ground, inorder to enable the vehicle to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield beyond the determined location of the mine. The control circuitry 6 may be configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine, lifting of the first wheel 1110 from ground from a first (lower) vertical position to a second (higher) vertical position. The control circuitry 6 may be further configured to cause the vehicle 1000 to move forwards through the minefield such that the first wheel 1110 is beyond the determined location of the mine, while the first wheel 1110 is in the second vertical position.

[0175] In some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine, movement of the first wheel 1110 in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110, in order to enable the vehicle 1000 to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield beyond the determined location of the mine. The control circuitry 6 may be configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine, movement of the first wheel 1110 in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110 from a first lateral position to a second lateral position. The control circuitry 6 may be further configured to cause the vehicle 1000 to move forwards through the minefield such that the first wheel 1110 is beyond the determined location of the mine, while the first wheel 1110 is in the second lateral position.

[0176] In examples where the first wheel 1110 moves beyond the determined location of the mine, the control circuitry 6 may be configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle 1000 if the vehicle 1000 moves forwards through the minefield, at least one of: lowering of the first wheel 1110 to the ground; or movement of the first wheel 1110 in a second opposite direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110, once the first wheel 1110 has moved beyond the determined location of the mine.

[0177] In some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to determine a predefined path in the minefield for the vehicle 1000 to travel along. The control circuitry 6 may be further configured to determine a location of a mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle 1000 if the vehicle 1000 moves forwards along the predetermined path through the minefield. The predefined path may be a substantially straight path. The predefined path may be a substantially straight path between two mine craters.The control circuitry 6 may control any of the wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160 of the plurality of wheels 1100 in the same manner as the first wheel 1110. For instance, in some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 is also configured to control the wheel lifting mechanism 1710 of the second wheel 1120 and / or the lateral wheel repositioning mechanism 1720 of the second wheel 1120. In some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to control the wheel lifting mechanism 1710 of each of the wheels of the plurality of wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160 and / or the lateral wheel repositioning mechanism 1720 of each of the wheels of the plurality of wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160. In such examples, the lifting and / or lateral movement of the each of the wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160 can therefore be independently controlled by the control circuitry 6.

[0178] The control circuitry 6 may be configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of a mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle 1000 if the vehicle 1000 moves forwards through the minefield, at least one of: lifting of the second wheel 1120 from ground; or movement of the second wheel 1120 in a direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the second wheel 1120, in order to enable the vehicle 1000 to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine.

[0179] In some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of a mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle 1000 if the vehicle 1000 moves forwards through the minefield, lifting of the second wheel 1120 from ground, in order to enable the vehicle 1000 to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine. Furthermore, in some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle 1000 if the vehicle 1000 moves forwards through the minefield, lowering of the first wheel 1110 to the ground, once the first wheel 1110 has moved beyond the determined location of the mine. In such examples, the control circuitry 6 may be configured to cause lifting of the second wheel 1120 from ground after the control circuitry 6 has caused the lowering of the first wheel 1110 to the ground. For example, the first, second, and third wheels 1110, 1120, 1130 may be lifted then lowered one after another to avoid a mine in the original path of the first, second, and third wheels 1110, 1120,1130. In other words, all of the wheels in a set 1101 , 1102 may be lifted then lowered sequentially such that all of the wheels in the set avoid detonating the mine.

[0180] In some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to: determine the location of the vehicle 1000; and / or determine the location of any one of the plurality of wheels 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160 of the vehicle 1000, such as the location of the first wheel 1110. The first wheel 1110 is used as an example for the remainder of this paragraph, but references to the first wheel 1110 in this paragraph could be replaced with a reference to any one of the other wheels 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160. The location of the vehicle 1000 and / or the location of first wheel 1110 may be determined by the control circuitry 6 based at least in part on: information received from the sensor(s) 30; and / or information received at the transceiver(s) 20. The information may comprise sensor data (e.g., location data such as GPS data, odometry data, and / or image data). The determined location may be stored in the memory 8. Alternatively or additionally, the control circuitry 6 may receive a signal (e.g., from the transceiver(s) 20, the memory 8, and / or the sensor(s) 30) comprising information indicating a determined location of the location of the vehicle 1000 and / or a determined location of the first wheel 1110. The determined location could be based on any type of coordinate system. For example, the determined location may be based on: a universal coordinate system (e.g., a GPS location); a coordinate system calculated relative to the location of the vehicle 1000 (e.g., an inertial navigation system location), and / or a combination of these systems. The control circuitry 6 may determine the distance between the mine and the vehicle 1000 based at least in part on: the determined location of the vehicle 1000 and the determined location of the mine. The control circuitry 6 may determine the distance between the mine and the first wheel 1110 based at least in part on: the determined location of the first wheel 1110 and the determined location of the mine. Alternatively or additionally, the control circuitry 6 may receive a signal (e.g., from the transceiver(s) 20, the memory 8, and / or the sensor(s) 30) comprising information indicating: a determined distance between the mine and the vehicle 1000; and / or a determined distance between the mine and the first wheel 1110.

[0181] In some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to determine the stability of the vehicle 1000. The stability of the vehicle could for instance be represented a stability factor, which may represent the risk of the vehicle 1000 tipping over. The stability of thevehicle 1000 may be determined by the control circuitry 6 based at least in part on: information received from the sensor(s) 30; and / or information received at the transceiver(s) 20. The information may comprise sensor data (e.g., location data such as GPS data, odometry data, and / or image data). The determined stability of the vehicle 1000 may be stored in the memory 8. Alternatively or additionally, the control circuitry 6 may receive a signal (e.g., from the transceiver(s) 20, the memory 8, the sensor(s) 30, and / or the mine detector 1200) comprising information indicating the stability of the vehicle 1000. The control circuitry 6 may be configured to cause at least one of: i) lifting of the first wheel 1110 from ground; ii) lowering of the first wheel 1110 towards ground; or ill) movement of the first wheel 1110 in a direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110, in order to maintain the stability of the vehicle 1000. For instance, if the stability factor exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control circuitry 6 could cause the first wheel 1110 to lower to the ground. The first wheel 1110 is used as an example in this paragraph, but references to the first wheel 1110 in this paragraph could be replaced with a reference to any one of the other wheels 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160.

[0182] As described previously, the control circuitry 6 may be configured to cause, based at least in part on a determined location of a mine (e.g., based at least in part on the determined distance between the mine and the first wheel 1110, or based at least in part on the determined distance between the mine and the vehicle 1000) at least one of: lifting of the first wheel 1110 from ground; or movement of the first wheel 1110 in a first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110, in order to enable the vehicle 1000 to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine. For example, if the determined distance between the mine and the first wheel 1110 or the determined distance between the mine and the vehicle 1000 is below a predetermined threshold, the control circuitry 6 may cause at least one of: lifting of the first wheel 1110 from ground; or movement of the first wheel 1110 in a first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110, in order to enable the vehicle 1000 to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine. In some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to cause, at least one of: lifting of the first wheel 1110 from ground; or movement of the first wheel 1110 in a first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel 1110, based at least in part on a determined location of the mine and the stability of the vehicle 1000, in order to enable the vehicle 1000 to avoid detonation of the mine whenmoving forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine, and to maintain the stability of the vehicle 1000.

[0183] In some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to determine a depth of a mine (i.e., the vertical distance between the mine and ground level). The depth of the mine may be determined by the control circuitry 6 based at least in part on information received from the mine detector 1200 and / or information received at the transceiver(s) 20. The information may comprise scanning data (e.g., ground penetrating radar data). The determined depth of the mine may be stored in the memory 8. Alternatively or additionally, the control circuitry 6 may receive a signal (e.g., from the transceiver(s) 20, the memory 8, the sensor(s) 30 and / or the mine detector 1200) comprising information indicating a determined depth of a mine.

[0184] As shown in FIG. 24, in some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to control the auger 1800. The control circuitry 6 may be configured to control: the actuator of the auger carriage 1840 to move the drill 1810 laterally; and / or the linear actuator of the auger 1800 which is configured to urge the drill 1810 along a vertical dimension. The control circuitry 6 may cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine, the auger 1800 to drill into the ground to remove earth located above the mine. In some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 causes, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine and the determined depth of the mine, the auger 1800 to drill into the ground to remove earth located above the mine.

[0185] In some examples the auger 1800 includes a pressure sensor configured to determine the force being applied to the auger 1800. In some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine, the auger 1800 to drill into the ground to remove earth located above the mine until the force being applied to the auger 1800 exceeds a determined threshold. This can prevent the auger 1800 drilling through a mine, as an increase in force would be detected once the auger 1800 reaches the mine.

[0186] The control circuitry 6 may be configured to limit the force applied by the auger 1800. For instance, the control circuitry 6 may be configured to prevent the force applied by the auger 1800exceeding a predetermined threshold. Additionally or alternatively, the vehicle 1000 may include alternative means for limiting the force applied by the auger 1800. For instance, the means for limiting the force applied by the auger 1800 may include a mechanical force limiter, such as a compression spring or a clutch. The force could be the axial force (e.g., downward vertical force) and / or rotational force applied by the auger 1800. The limitation of the force applied by the auger 1800 minimizes the risk of detonating the mines. The force may be limited to 50 kg, 100 kg, or 150kg.

[0187] In some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to cause the auger 1800 to drill up to a predetermined threshold distance in the vertical dimension from the mine. The predetermined threshold distance may be a fixed distance from the determined depth of the mine, to minimize the risk of detonating the mines.

[0188] In some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to determine the central portion of a mine. Additionally or alternatively, the center point of the mine may also be determined. The central portion of the mine may be determined by the control circuitry 6 based at least in part on: information received from the mine detector; information received from the sensor(s); and / or information received at the transceiver(s) 20. The information may comprise scanning data (e.g., ground penetrating radar data) and / or sensor data (e.g., image data). The determined center point or central portion of the mine may be stored in the memory 8. Alternatively or additionally, the control circuitry 6 may receive a signal (e.g., from the transceiver(s) 20, the memory 8, the sensor(s) 30 and / or the mine detector 1200) comprising information indicating the central portion of a mine.

[0189] In some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined central portion of the mine, the auger 1800 to drill into the ground along a vertical axis that does not intersect with the central portion of the mine. In some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined central point of the mine, the auger 1800 to drill into the ground along a vertical axis that is not within a predetermined threshold distance from the determined center point of the mine. The central portion of a mine typically includes the fuse. Therefore, avoiding the central portion of a mine minimizes the risk of detonating the mines.In some examples, the control circuitry 6 may be configured to control the marking agent dispenser 1900 in the same manner as the auger 1800. The control circuitry 6 may cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine, the marking agent dispenser 1900 to apply marking agent to the ground at the location of the mine.

[0190] As shown in FIG. 25, in some but not necessarily all examples, the control circuitry 6 is configured to control the charge dispenser 1300. The control circuitry 6 may be configured to control at least one of: the actuator of the receptacle 1312 to cause one or more charges 100 to move towards the outlet 1316 of the receptacle 1312; the actuator of the charge depositor carriage 1325 to move the movable arm 1322 laterally; the actuator 1327 of the vertically retractable cable 1326 to move the movable arm 1322 vertically; and / or the rotary motor 1328 of the movable arm 1322 to cause the movable arm 1322 to rotate. The control circuitry 6 may cause, based at least in part on a determined location of a mine, at least one of the one or more charges 100 to be deployed at the determined location. The deployment of a charge 100 may comprise the steps of: retrieving a charge from the outlet 1316 of the charge container 1310; and depositing the charge 100 at the determined location. The depositing of the charge 100 may comprise lowering the charge to the ground at the determined location of the mine. The control circuitry 6 may cause movement of the movable arm 1322 to carry out these steps.

[0191] The elements in FIGs 23 to 25 are operationally coupled and any number or combination of intervening elements can exist (including no intervening elements). For example, one or more intervening elements may exist between the control circuitry 6 and one or more of the transceiver(s) 20, the sensor(s) 30, the mine detector 1200, the memory 8, the motor(s) 60, the auger 1800, the lateral wheel repositioning mechanism 1720, the wheel lifting mechanism 1710 and / or the charge dispenser 1300 in order to enable the control circuitry 6 to have control over those elements 20, 30, 1200, 8, 60, 1800, 1720, 171 Oorto enable the control circuitry 6 to receive inputs from those elements 30, 20, 8.

[0192] There is thus described a minefield clearing vehicle 1000 and an example charge 100 for deactivating a landmine with a number of advantages as described above and below. The minefield clearing vehicle 1000 can traverse a minefield with minimal damage by avoiding contactwith the ground at the location of a landmine. The minefield clearing vehicle can therefore be reused. The minefield clearing vehicle 1000 can clear a straight path through a minefield, which other vehicles can readily follow. The minefield clearing vehicle 1000 and example charge 100 can clear the path with minimal noise from detonating mines, thereby improving stealth capabilities and minimizing noise pollution. The delay component 160 enables deposited charges 100 to be ignited simultaneously.

[0193] Where a structural feature has been described, it may be replaced by means for performing one or more of the functions of the structural feature whether that function or those functions are explicitly or implicitly described.

[0194] The term ‘comprise’ is used in this document with an inclusive not an exclusive meaning. That is any reference to X comprising Y indicates that X may comprise only one Y or may comprise more than one Y. If it is intended to use ‘comprise’ with an exclusive meaning then it will be made clear in the context by referring to ‘comprising only one...’ or by using ‘consisting.’

[0195] In this description, the wording ‘connect’, ‘couple’ and ‘communication’ and their derivatives mean operationally connected / coupled / in communication. It should be appreciated that any number or combination of intervening components can exist (including no intervening components), i.e., to provide direct or indirect connection / coupling / communication. Any such intervening components can include hardware and / or software components.

[0196] As used herein, the term "determine / determining" (and grammatical variants thereof) can include, not least: calculating, computing, processing, deriving, measuring, investigating, identifying, looking up (for example, looking up in a table, a database, or another data structure), ascertaining and the like. Also, "determining" can include receiving (for example, receiving information), accessing (for example, accessing data in a memory), obtaining and the like. Also, " determine / determining" can include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, and the like.

[0197] In this description, reference has been made to various examples. The description of features or functions in relation to an example indicates that those features or functions are present in that example. The use of the term ‘example’ or ‘for example’ or ‘can’ or ‘may’ in the text denotes,whether explicitly stated or not, that such features or functions are present in at least the described example, whether described as an example or not, and that they can be, but are not necessarily, present in some of or all other examples. Thus ‘example’, ‘for example’, ‘can’, or ‘may’ refers to a particular instance in a class of examples. A property of the instance can be a property of only that instance or a property of the class or a property of a sub-class of the class that includes some but not all the instances in the class. It is therefore implicitly disclosed that a feature described with reference to one example but not with reference to another example, can where possible be used in that other example as part of a working combination but does not necessarily have to be used in that other example.

[0198] Although examples have been described in the preceding paragraphs with reference to various examples, it should be appreciated that modifications to the examples given can be made without departing from the scope of the claims. The mine clearing vehicle 1000 might not include the mine detector 1200, the charge dispenser 1300, the auger 1800, and / or the marking agent dispenser 1900. For example, each of the mine detector 1200, the charge dispenser 1300, the auger 1800, and the marking agent dispenser 1900 could be provided on separate mine clearing vehicles. These separate mine clearing vehicles could communicate with one another via transceivers 20, possibly via a central command center. The mine clearing vehicle 1000 may have a different number of wheels, such as four wheels or eight or more wheels. A single wheel lifting mechanism 1710 may lift more than one wheel. The axle(s) 1620 might not be hinged, such that the wheel lifting mechanism 1710 lifts the whole axle(s) whilst the axle(s) remain parallel with the ground. The hub motor(s) 1122 could be replaced with a single motor that powers multiple wheels via a drivetrain. The mine detector 1200 and / or cameras 1050 could be replaced with another land-based or airborne drone with similar mine detecting functionality. The charge dispenser 1300 could be replaced by an airborne drone configured to drop the one or more charges 100 at the determined location of a mine. Separate control circuitry 6 may be provided for each of the mine detector 1200, charge dispenser 1300, auger 1800, and the marking agent dispenser 1900. Only one of the wheels may be caused to lift from the ground or move in a direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the wheel to avoid a mine. For example, the other wheels may be reinforced such that they can resist a mine detonation and / or some of the wheels may follow a different path such that they do not move over the mine. The charges 100 could beignited by different means. The minefield clearing vehicle 1000 may be manned in some examples.

[0199] Features described in the preceding description may be used in combinations other than the combinations explicitly described above.

[0200] Although functions have been described with reference to certain features, those functions may be performable by other features whether described or not.

[0201] The description of a feature, such as an apparatus or a component of an apparatus, configured to perform a function, or for performing a function, should additionally be considered to also disclose a method of performing that function. For example, description of an apparatus configured to perform one or more actions, or for performing one or more actions, should additionally be considered to disclose a method of performing those one or more actions with or without the apparatus.

[0202] Although features have been described with reference to certain examples, those features may also be present in other examples whether described or not.

[0203] The term ‘a’, ‘an’ or ‘the’ is used in this document with an inclusive not an exclusive meaning. That is any reference to X comprising a / an / the Y indicates that X may comprise only one Y or may comprise more than one Y unless the context clearly indicates the contrary. If it is intended to use ‘a’, ‘an’ or ‘the’ with an exclusive meaning then it will be made clear in the context. In some circumstances the use of ‘at least one’ or ‘one or more’ may be used to emphasis an inclusive meaning but the absence of these terms should not be taken to infer any exclusive meaning.

[0204] The presence of a feature (or combination of features) in a claim is a reference to that feature or (combination of features) itself and to features that achieve substantially the same technical effect (equivalent features). The equivalent features include, for example, features that are variants and achieve substantially the same result in substantially the same way. The equivalent features include, for example, features that perform substantially the same function, in substantially the same way to achieve substantially the same result.In this description, reference has been made to various examples using adjectives or adjectival phrases to describe characteristics of the examples. Such a description of a characteristic in relation to an example indicates that the characteristic is present in some examples exactly as described and is present in other examples substantially as described.

[0205] The above description describes some examples of the present disclosure however those of ordinary skill in the art will be aware of possible alternative structures and method features which offer equivalent functionality to the specific examples of such structures and features described herein above and which for the sake of brevity and clarity have been omitted from the above description. Nonetheless, the above description should be read as implicitly including reference to such alternative structures and method features which provide equivalent functionality unless such alternative structures or method features are explicitly excluded in the above description of the examples of the present disclosure.

[0206] References to “processing circuitry” or “processor” should be understood to encompass not only computers having different architectures such as single / multi- processor architectures and sequential (Von Neumannj / parallel architectures but also specialized circuits such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), application specific circuits (ASIC), signal processing devices and other processing circuitry. References to computer program, instructions, code etc. should be understood to encompass software for a programmable processor or firmware such as, for example, the programmable content of a hardware device whether instructions for a processor, Or configuration settings for a fixed-function device, gate array or programmable logic device etc.

[0207] Whilst endeavoring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features believed to be of importance the Applicant may seek protection via the claims in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and / or shown in the drawings whether or not emphasis has been placed thereon.

[0208] l / we claim:

Claims

CLAIMS1. An unmanned minefield clearing vehicle, comprising:a plurality of wheels configured to enable the vehicle to move forwards through a minefield, wherein the plurality of wheels includes a first wheel configured to rotate about an axis of rotation; andcontrol circuitry configured to:cause, based at least in part on a determined location of a mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle if the vehicle moves forwards through the minefield, at least one of: lifting of the first wheel from ground; or movement of the first wheel in a first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel, in order to enable the vehicle to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine.

2. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicleof claim 1, wherein prior to the causing, at least one of: lifting of the first wheel from ground; or movement of the first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel, the control circuitry is configured to determine the location of the mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle if the vehicle moves forwards through the minefield.

3. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of claim 1 or 2, wherein prior to the causing, at least one of: lifting of the first wheel from ground; or movement of the first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel, the control circuitry is configured to receive a signal comprising information indicating the determined location of the mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle if the vehicle moves forwards through the minefield.

4. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of any of the preceding claims, wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause, after at least one of: lifting of the first wheel from ground or movement of the first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel, the vehicle to move forwards through the minefield such that the first wheel is beyond the determined location of the mine.

5. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle any of the preceding claims, wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine, movement of the first wheel in a first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel, in order to enable the vehicle to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield beyond the determined location of the mine.

6. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of claim 5, when dependent upon claim 4, wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine, movement of the first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel from a first lateral position to a second lateral position, and the control circuitry is configured to cause the vehicle to move forwards through the minefield such that the first wheel is beyond the determined location of the mine, while the first wheel is in the second lateral position.

7. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of claim 5 or 6, wherein the movement of the first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel comprises translational movement of the first wheel in a direction parallel to or co-incident with the axis of rotation of the first wheel.

8. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of any of claims 5 to 7, wherein the movement of the first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel comprises movement the first wheel in a direction parallel to or co-incident with the axis of rotation of the first wheel while maintaining the orientation of the wheel.

9. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of any of claims 5 to 8, wherein the movement of the first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel comprises movement of the entire first wheel in the first direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel.

10. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of any of the preceding claims, wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine, lifting of the first wheel from ground, in order to enable the vehicle to avoid detonation ofthe mine when moving forwards through the minefield beyond the determined location of the mine.

11. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine, lifting of the first wheel from ground from a first vertical position to a second vertical position, and the control circuitry is configured to cause the vehicle to move forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine, while the first wheel is in the second vertical position.

12. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of any of the preceding claims, wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine a predefined path in the minefield for the vehicle to travel along, and configured to determine a location of a mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle if the vehicle moves forwards along the predetermined path through the minefield.

13. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of claim 4 or any claim dependent thereon, wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle if the vehicle moves forwards through the minefield, at least one of: lowering of the first wheel to the ground; or movement of the first wheel in a second opposite direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel, once the first wheel has moved beyond the determined location of the mine.

14. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of claim 13, wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine, lowering of the first wheel to the ground, once the first wheel has moved beyond the determined location of the mine.

15. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of any of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of wheels further includes a second wheel configured to rotate about a second axis of rotation, and the control circuitry is configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine that represents a hazard to the vehicle if the vehicle moves forwards through the minefield, at least one of: lifting of the second wheel from ground; or movement of the second wheel in a direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the second wheel, in order to enable thevehicle to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield, beyond the determined location of the mine.

16. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of claim 15, wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine, lifting of the second wheel from ground, in order to enable the vehicle to avoid detonation of the mine when moving forwards through the minefield beyond the determined location of the mine.

17. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of claim 16 when dependent on claim 14, the control circuitry is configured to cause lifting of the second wheel from ground after causing the lowering of the first wheel to the ground.

18. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of any of the preceding claims, wherein the unmanned minefield clearing vehicle comprises a wheel lifting mechanism configured to lift the first wheel from ground.

19. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of claim 18 when dependent on claim 15, wherein the unmanned minefield clearing vehicle comprises a further wheel lifting mechanism configured to lift the second wheel from ground.

20. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of any of the preceding claims, wherein the unmanned minefield clearing vehicle comprises a plurality of wheel lifting mechanisms, and wherein a wheel lifting mechanism is provided for each of the wheels of the unmanned minefield clearing vehicle.

21. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of any of the preceding claims, wherein the unmanned minefield clearing vehicle comprises a lateral wheel repositioning mechanism configured to move the first wheel in a direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the first wheel.

22. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of claim 21 , wherein the unmanned minefield clearing vehicle comprises a further lateral wheel repositioning mechanism configured to move the second wheel in a direction aligned with the axis of rotation of the second wheel.

23. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of any of the preceding claims, wherein the unmanned minefield clearing vehicle comprises a plurality of lateral wheel repositioning mechanisms, and wherein a lateral wheel repositioning mechanism is provided for each of the wheels of the unmanned minefield clearing vehicle.

24. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of any of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of wheels comprises six or more wheels.

25. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of any of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of wheels comprises eight or more wheels.

26. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of any of the preceding claims, wherein the unmanned mine clearing vehicle further comprises a mine detector configured to detect surface-scattered landmines and / or buried landmines in the vicinity of the vehicle.

27. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of claim 26 when dependent on claim 2, wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine the location of the mine based at least in part on information from the mine detector.

28. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of claim 26 or 27, wherein the mine detector comprises a ground penetrating radar scanner.

29. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of any of the preceding claims, wherein the vehicle further comprises means for disabling the mine.

30. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of claim 29, wherein the means for disabling the mine comprises a charge dispenser configured to deploy from the vehicle one or more charges.

31. A minefield clearing vehicle, comprising:a charge dispenser configured to deploy from the vehicle one or more charges for destroying a mine.

32. The minefield clearing vehicle of claim 31, wherein the minefield clearing vehicle comprises the one or more charges, wherein the one or more charges comprise at least one of: an incendiary material or an explosive material.

33. The minefield clearing vehicle of claim 32, wherein the one or more charges comprise an incendiary material.

34. The minefield clearing vehicle of claim 33, wherein the incendiary material generates temperatures of at least 1000 °C, at least 1500 °C, at least 2000 °C, or at least 2500 °C when ignited.

35. The minefield clearing vehicle of claim 33 or 34, wherein the incendiary material comprises at least one of: thermite, magnesium or a pyrophoric material.

36. The minefield clearing vehicle of claim 35, wherein the incendiary material comprises thermite.

37. The minefield clearing vehicle of claim 36, wherein the thermite comprises iron (III) oxide and aluminium.

38. The minefield clearing vehicle of any of claims 31 to 37, wherein the minefield clearing vehicle comprises the one or more charges, wherein the one or more charges comprise a delay component configured to cause the one or more charges to ignite at a predetermined time.

39. The minefield clearing vehicle of claim 38, wherein the minefield clearing vehicle comprises a plurality of charges, each of the plurality of charges having a delay component, and wherein the predetermined time of the delay component of at least two of the plurality of charges may be substantially the same, such that the at least two charges with substantially the same predetermined time are configured to ignite substantially simultaneously.

40. The minefield clearing vehicle of any of claims 31 to 39, wherein the minefield clearing vehicle comprises control circuitry, the control circuitry being configured to:cause, based at least in part on a determined location of a mine, at least one of the one or more charges to be deployed by the charge dispenser at the determined location.

41. The minefield clearing vehicle of any of claims 31 to 40, wherein the charge dispenser comprises a movable arm configured to deposit a charge.

42. The minefield clearing vehicle of any of claims 31 to 41, wherein the charge dispenser comprises a charge container for containing a plurality of charges, the charge container comprising a vibrating receptacle for locating the charges.

43. The minefield clearing vehicle of claim 42 when dependent on claim 41, wherein the movable arm is configured to retrieve a charge from an outlet of the charge container.

44. The minefield clearing vehicle of claim 43, wherein the outlet of the charge container comprises a lip, the lip being configured to engage with a flange of a removable cover of the charge when the charge is removed from the outlet, such that the removable cover of the charge is removed when the charge is retrieved from the outlet by the movable arm.

45. The minefield clearing vehicle of any of claims 31 to 44, wherein the minefield clearing vehicle is an unmanned minefield clearing vehicle.

46. A charge for deactivating a landmine, the charge comprising:a housing;at least one of: an incendiary material or an explosive material; a pin at least partially inserted into the housing;a latch engaged with the pin, wherein the latch is configured to prevent removal of the pin from the housing when the latch is engaged with the pin; anda pressure switch, wherein the pressure switch is configured to cause the latch to disengage from the pin when the pressure switch is activated, and wherein the charge is configured such that when the pin is removed from the housing the incendiary material or explosive material is caused to ignite substantially immediately or after a time delay.

47. The charge of claim 46, wherein the charge comprises a delay component configured to cause a time delay between the removal of the pin from the housing and the ignition of the incendiary material or explosive material.

48. The charge of claim 47, wherein the delay component is configured to cause the incendiary material or explosive material to ignite at a predetermined time.

49. The charge of any of claims 46 to 48, wherein the pin comprises a head for holding the pin, and wherein the pressure switch is located at an opposite end of the charge to the head of the pin.

50. The charge of any of claims 46 to 49, wherein the pressure switch comprises a push button switch.

51. The charge of any of claims 46 to 50, wherein the charge comprises first and second electrical terminals, the charge being configured such that when the pin is removed from the housing, the first and second electrical terminals become electrically coupled, thereby completing an electrical circuit to cause, substantially immediately or after a time delay, the ignition of the incendiary material or explosive material.

52. The charge of claim 51, wherein the first and second electrical terminals are first and second electrical contacts, and the first and second electrical contacts are located on opposing sides of the pin and are configured to come into contact with one another when the pin is removed from the housing to electrically couple the first and second electrical contacts.

53. The charge of claim 51 or 52 when dependent on claim 47, wherein the charge further comprises a battery and an igniter, and wherein the charge is configured such that a circuitincluding the battery, the delay component, and the igniter is completed when the first and second electrical terminals become electrically coupled.

54. The charge of any of claims 46 to 53, wherein the charge includes a removable cover, the removable cover covering the pressure switch.

55. The charge of any of claims 46 to 54, wherein the charge further comprises a support base, the support base being configured to stabilize the charge when the charge is deposited on the ground.

56. The charge of claim 55, wherein the support base is expandable from a collapsed configuration to an extended configuration.

57. The charge of claim 55 or 56, wherein the support base comprises a plurality of legs.

58. The charge of any of claims 55 to 57 when dependent on claim 54, wherein the removable cover covers the support base.

59. The charge of claim 58, wherein the support base is configured to expand to the extended configuration when the removable cover is removed.

60. The charge of any of claims 46 to 59, wherein the charge comprises an incendiary material.

61. The charge of claim 60, wherein the incendiary material generates temperatures of at least 1000 °C, at least 1500 °C, at least 2000 °C, or at least 2500 °C when ignited.

62. The charge of claim 60 or 61 , wherein the incendiary material comprises at least one of: thermite, magnesium or a pyrophoric material.

63. The charge of claim 62, wherein the incendiary material comprises thermite.

64. An unmanned minefield clearing vehicle, comprising:an auger; andcontrol circuitry configured to:cause, based at least in part on a determined location of a mine, the auger to drill into the ground to remove earth located above the mine.

65. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of claim 64, wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause, based at least in part on the determined location of the mine and a determined depth of the mine, the auger to drill into the ground to remove earth located above the mine.

66. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of claim 64 or 65, further comprising means for limiting the force applied by the auger.

67. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of claim 66, wherein the means for limiting the force applied by the auger is the control circuitry, which is configured to limit the amount of force applied by the auger.

68. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of claim 66, wherein the means for limiting the force applied by the auger is a mechanical force limiter.

69. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of any of claims 64 to 68, wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause the auger to drill up to a predetermined threshold distance from the mine in the vertical dimension.

70. The unmanned minefield clearing vehicle of any of claims 64 to 69, wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause, based at least in parton a determined central portion of the mine, the auger to drill into the ground along a vertical axis that does not intersect with the central portion of the mine.

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