Depth fusion for antipersonnel landmine detection

John G. M. Schavemaker; Eric den Breejen; Frank Cremer; Klamer Schutte; Koen W. Benoist

doi:10.1117/12.445435

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18 October 2001 Depth fusion for antipersonnel landmine detection

John G. M. Schavemaker, Eric den Breejen, Frank Cremer, Klamer Schutte, Koen W. Benoist

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Proceedings Volume 4394, Detection and Remediation Technologies for Mines and Minelike Targets VI; (2001) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.445435
Event: Aerospace/Defense Sensing, Simulation, and Controls, 2001, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

In this paper we introduce the concept of depth fusion for anti-personnel landmine detection. Depth fusion is an extension of common sensor-fusion techniques for landmine detection. The difference lies within the fact that fusion of sensor data is performed in different physical depth layers. In order to do so, it requires a sensor that provides depth information for object detections. Our ground-penetrating radar fulfills this requirement. Depth fusion is then taken as the combination of the output of sensor fusion of all layers. The underlying idea is that sensor fusion for the surface layer has a different weighing of the sensors when compared with the sensor fusion in the deep layers because of apparent sensor characteristics. For example, a thermal IR sensor hardly adds information to the sensor fusion in the deep layers. Furthermore, GPR has difficulties suppressing clutter in the surface layer. As such, the surface fusion should emphasize on the TIR sensor, whereas sensor fusion in the deep layers should have a higher weighing of the GPR. This a priori information can be made explicit by choosing for a depth-fusion approach. Experimental results form measurements at the TNO-FEL test facility are presented that validate our depth-fusion concepts.

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John G. M. Schavemaker, Eric den Breejen, Frank Cremer, Klamer Schutte, and Koen W. Benoist "Depth fusion for antipersonnel landmine detection", Proc. SPIE 4394, Detection and Remediation Technologies for Mines and Minelike Targets VI, (18 October 2001); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.445435

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