Date: Jan 01, 2012 Source: ARMY SBIR Success Story (
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Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), buried anti-tank mines, and off-route mines are major threats for our deployed Soldiers. The use of radios, remote control, and mobile devices can assist insurgent groups and other forces by giving them the capability to harm soldiers from a distance without personal risk. Planning Systems, Inc. has patented the Maverick system, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) detection device. The Maverick inspection can identify buried landmines by generating three-dimensional (3-D), real-time mine images using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). GPR is a geophysical technique that uses radar patterns to image below ground. The system can detect both metallic and plastic under the surface objects from the air and ground, over large areas rapidly from a standoff distance. This method does not use radiation for examination; instead it transmits radio signals into the ground with less power than a mobile phone. It images and processes a 20-meter wide field up to 30-meters forward of the array. This technology will provide better accuracy of detection and improve the overall performance of the GPRs.
Technology Transition:
The Maverick system also performs these scans to discover private utilities, support engineering and geophysical studies, and non-destructively locate burial sites. Some of the other applications for GPR can be used for detection in concrete for bridges, retaining walls, elevator shafts, air ducts, and laboratories. Planning Systems, Inc. received multiple SBIR Phase III contracts with a total ceiling of approximately $15M and has also obtained another $6M in investments and sales in support of this technology.
