EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands -- Former Afghan refugees Massoud and Mahmud Hassani have created a low-cost drone to detect and destroy land mines, AFP reported.
Ridding the world of their childhood horror has become the life work of the Hassanis, who now live in the Netherlands and hold Dutch citizenship.
In 2013, they won worldwide acclaim for the "mine kafon" -- a giant ball shaped like a dandelion-seed head that rolls around with the wind, its plastic stalks tripping land mines in the process.
The "puffball" idea -- while praised for its low technology and cost -- meant the device was at the mercy of the winds and could not cover a minefield systematically to guarantee it was cleared.
Their latest mine-hunting device combines drone technology, 3D printing and robotics with a metal detector to find and ultimately destroy land mines.
Hinged on six arms with rotors that create lift, the 4.5 kg drone aims to place a small charge on every mine, which then detonates it.
The Hassanis want to take the device to Afghanistan for testing within the next two months, the first time the brothers will return to their native country since fleeing the Taliban-ruled Kabul.
Massoud, 32, fled Afghanistan in 1998, followed two years later by Mahmud, 30.
"The mine kafon invention did a lot to create awareness of land mines," said Massoud Hassani. "We felt that it was now time to do something even more concrete to destroy land mines."
Land mines are scattered in 78 countries, and each year kill between 15,000 and 20,000 people and maim countless more, according to the United Nations.
