Optimal Data-Driven Strategies for Efficient Demining Operations

Demining involves removing landmines to ensure safety. In military contexts, the goal is to quickly clear paths using devices like mine plows and blast waves. Humanitarian demining aims to completely remove mines for safe land use, employing trained dogs, mechanical devices, and various detection methods.

Time and human resources are limited, so the goal is to identify and prioritize the most efficient areas for rapid search and demining.

Let's skip to the good part !

Consider some points scattered on a surface. Each point has a value (+ or -)Find the coordinates of a rectangle which contains the max sum of the values. This rectangle indicates the search area. The ORtools Package is used for solving this problem.

Data

Positive values indicate a high likelihood of finding mines, while negative values suggest a low chance, meaning searching these areas would likely be a waste of time for the team.

Math Model

The idea is to make sure if a point is inside the rectangle or not (inside the search area)?

For each node iii, we need 4 binary variables to compare its position with the edges of the rectangle, which is determined by two nodes (top right and bottom left). Additionally, an extra binary variable, pi, is required. This variable is defined as the product of the four binary variables.

This multiplication can be also linearized:

Here is the whole python code:

Results:

no limitation on the dimentions of rectangle:

OF = 26866

The horizontal expantion <= 150

In this case, the search and demining team cannot conduct searches along the horizontal axis for distances exceeding 150 meters due to terrain issues.

We should add this constraint to the model

Xu-Xd <= 150        

OF = 14100

The horizontal and vertical expantion <= 150

Xu-Xd <= 150
Yu-Yd <= 150        

OF = 8697

The search procedure continues until the whole area is fully discovered.

Some observations:

• Efficient Resource Allocation: By identifying the largest areas with a net positive value (indicating the absence of mines), resources for mine detection and clearance can be concentrated in regions with a net negative value (indicating the presence of mines). This ensures that demining efforts are focused where they are most needed, improving safety and efficiency.
• Risk Assessment and Safety: Determining the largest safe zones helps in planning safe routes for personnel and equipment. It minimizes the risk of accidents and ensures that operations are conducted in the safest possible manner, protecting the lives of those involved in demining activities.

The code is available on my github , feel free to give it a star

#Demining #DataScience #optimization #EfficientResourceAllocation #RiskAssessment #LandRehabilitation #CommunityResettlement #AI #BigData