Sustainable and appropriate technologies for humanitarian de-mining

The chapter outlines the recent trends in humanitarian de-mining practices, analysing the shift from the concept of absolute need of full clearance to the recently developed idea of land release through technical survey. In this context, the possible use of lower-reliability technologies is discussed and the need to use more sustainable and appropriate technologies raised. The advantages of using locally available machines and agricultural technologies in particular and converting them to assist de-mining operations are outlined after having underlined how much science and technology can contribute to human development. The chapter then looks at the research on sustainable technologies for humanitarian de-mining being undertaken worldwide before presenting the efforts of the PMARlab of the Department of Mechanics and Machine Design of the University of Genova, working in collaboration with the not-for-profit association Snail Aid - Technology for Development. Recent results from PAT and Disarmadillo projects, regarding the development of a machine that costs less than € 5000, built around a powertiller, are presented, before introducing a new project called Locostra, co-funded by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade, that the authors are currently working on. The Locostra machine is built around a small off the shelf 4WD tractor equipped with radio remote control and blast resistant wheels. © Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2011.