Optical Probe for In-Situ Explosive Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for handling buried improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are time-consuming and laborious, involving manual excavation and detonation, which is inefficient and poses risks to operators.
Innovation Solution
A probe equipped with a light source and detector is inserted into the ground to analyze surrounding materials, allowing for in-situ detection of chemicals like explosives, enabling precise identification and potential detonation of IEDs without excavation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual excavation and detonation methods are used to handle buried IEDs, then operator safety is maintained through distance, but the process becomes time-consuming and laborious
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical excavation with an automated probe system that uses optical sensors (light sources and detectors) to detect and analyze underground materials. The probe mechanically inserts itself into the ground and electronically transmits data for analysis, substituting the labor-intensive manual digging process with an automated opto-mechanical system that achieves both safety and speed.
2Measurement precision
If manual excavation is performed to verify underground materials, then accurate identification of explosives is achieved, but the process requires significant time and labor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary probe system that acts as a mediator between the operator and the buried IED. Instead of directly excavating to verify materials, the probe is inserted as an intermediary tool that uses light sources and detectors to analyze the chemical composition of underground materials, transmitting data electronically for identification without requiring manual excavation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes manual mechanical excavation with an automated optical detection system. The probe uses light sources to illuminate underground materials and detectors to analyze the reflected or transmitted light, converting chemical identification from a manual visual inspection process to an automated opto-electronic measurement process that is both faster and more precise.
3Reliability
If a specialized digging vehicle is used to excavate IEDs at a distance, then operator safety is improved, but the equipment complexity and process duration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the IED handling process into distinct functional modules: a probe insertion mechanism, an optical detection system with light sources and detectors, a data transmission system, and an analysis system. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall system compared to a complex specialized vehicle, while maintaining operator safety through remote operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method significantly speeds up the detection and neutralization process by allowing for remote analysis and confirmation of explosive materials, reducing the need for manual excavation and enhancing operator safety.
Implementation Method 1
using at least one light source and at least one light detector, with data gathered by the at least one light detector being used to determine composition information regarding the surrounding materials
Implementation Method 2
sensing surrounding materials in situ, using at least one light source and at least one light detector, with data gathered by the at least one light detector being used to determine composition information
Data Source
AI summary
A probe for underground sensing of materials of interest, for example chemicals such as explosives, includes a probe body that is capable of being inserted into the ground, and one or more sensors that are able to sense one or more materials in the vicinity of at least a portion of the probe body. The sensor(s) may include a light source that directs light to the vicinity of the portion of the probe body, and a light detector, such as a photosensor or spectrometer, that detects reflected light from the material around the probe body. The reflected light may be analyzed to determine the presence of one or more materials of interest, such as chemicals used in explosive devices. The probe may be part of a vehicle used to detect and neutralize buried explosive devices, with the probe for example being on an articulable arm of the vehicle.