Dropla Tech Aps Aims to Reduce Costs and Time for Landmine Clearance with Innovative Technology
A Danish-Ukrainian startup, Dropla Tech Aps, is developing cutting-edge robotics and drone technology to expedite demining operations in Ukraine. The company, co-founded by Ukrainian entrepreneur V’yacheslav Shvaidak, is working to make landmine clearance faster, safer, and more cost-effective. With the current methods, demining Ukraine’s 144,000 sq. km of mined territory would take over 70 years and cost an estimated €33.5 billion. Shvaidak’s innovative approach seeks to drastically reduce both the time and cost of this daunting task.
The Need for a Faster, Cheaper Solution
“Ukraine is the most mined country in the world today. The current mine clearing process is painfully slow, dangerous and costly. Ukraine just doesn’t have the time to wait or money to invest,” says Shvaidak. His goal is to leverage robotics and artificial intelligence to address these challenges. “With current technologies, it costs about 1-3 euros to demine one square metre. By leveraging robotics and AI, we can make demining faster, cheaper and more secure. We estimate that our solution could reduce the price of demining one square metre to 10 cents and reduce the time needed from 70 years to 12,” he adds.
The demining process is crucial not only for safety but also for food security. Before the Russian invasion, Ukraine was a significant global food supplier, providing sustenance to over 400 million people worldwide. However, the conflict has severely impacted this capability. “Today, 26,000 sq. km. of agricultural land in liberated areas have been impacted by landmines and unexploded ordnance because of Russian aggression. That’s the equivalent of half of Denmark. The agricultural land, due to its high economic output and critical importance of food security, is a number one priority to demine,” Shvaidak explains.
How Dropla Tech’s Solution Works
Dropla Tech’s innovative approach involves the use of drone swarm technology combined with unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). Unlike traditional demining methods that rely on a single drone, Dropla’s solution deploys a swarm of six unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) simultaneously. These drones are equipped with multi-modal sensor fusion technology, allowing them to detect landmines using optical, magnetic, and electromagnetic sensors. The data collected by these drones is then processed to create a georeferenced digital surface map, highlighting the locations of potential threats.
Once the threats are identified, Dropla’s remote-controlled UGVs come into play. These ground vehicles clear vegetation and ensure that no threats are left undetected. They are built to withstand the detonation of anti-personnel landmines, providing an additional layer of safety before the demining squad enters the area. This approach not only enhances safety but also significantly increases the speed and efficiency of the demining process.
Testing and Future Developments
Dropla Tech’s technology is currently being tested in Ukraine by the Ukrainian government’s demining organizations, including the Emergency State Service of Ukraine and the State Transport Special Service. The UGVs, manufactured by Dropla Tech’s production team in Ukraine, cost just €10,000 each, a fraction of the price of traditional remote-controlled ground preparation vehicles, which can range between €1.2 million and €1.5 million.
In addition to its current offerings, Dropla Tech is also working on a drone swarming solution, which is expected to be ready within the next six months. The company’s neural networks, trained on data from over 300 landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs) collected from their testing site in Ukraine, will support this development. By the end of 2024, Dropla Tech aims to be the leading provider of training datasets for AI capabilities in landmine detection, delivering 1.8 million labeled frames.
Establishing a Base in Odense
Dropla Tech Aps has been selected by the Odense Robotics StartUp Fund for a place at the startup hub at the Danish Technological Institute (DTI). This selection allows the company to accelerate its growth and technological development in Odense, a city known for its expertise in robotics.
“I chose Odense as Dropla’s new headquarters because the city is for robotics just like Florence was for the renaissance art. There’s a critical mass of robotics, automation and drone experts here that you can’t find many other places and I want to be part of this unique nexus event,” Shvaidak notes. He plans to focus on finalizing the sensor fusion and swarming solution for use in Ukraine while also contributing to the defense startup ecosystem in Denmark.
Denmark has committed over DKK 60 billion in military support to Ukraine, including a program to purchase equipment from Danish companies. Dropla Tech plans to participate in this procurement process, further contributing to Ukraine’s demining efforts.
Shvaidak’s journey from Ukraine to Denmark reflects his commitment to using his skills to make a significant impact. Having left Ukraine just before the war broke out, the 33-year-old former lieutenant now holds a PhD in economics and a master’s degree in technical engineering. He believes that his work in Denmark will bring valuable resources and capabilities back to Ukraine, supporting the country’s recovery and security efforts.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
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