Mine Detection System Using A BLIMP
Norihiro Goto
Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Faculty of Engineering
〜 Scope 〜
This project has been adopted as one of Kyushu University's "Interdisciplinary Programs in Education and Projects in Research Development (P & P): Type B for 1999," and is aimed at developing a technique to autonomously detect landmines and mark their positions. The illustration shows the concept of the mine detection system under development in the project. A blimp is used to carry mine detectors because it is a Lighter-Than-Air(LTA)-craft, and therefore less prone to crashing than a Heavier-Than-Air(HTA)-craft. A Global Positioning System which takes advantage of electromagnetic signals from satellites is used to map the locations of buried mines.〜 Project Team Members 〜
The team is composed of many experts from various fields relating to this interdisciplinary project. Mine detectors are being studied by Prof. Ushijima (Faculty of Engrg.; Exploration Geophysics) and Prof. Tachibana (Kyushu Inst. of Tech.; Combustion). Static and dynamic flight tests of the blimp are being supervised by Prof. Kijima (Faculty of Engrg.; Dynamics of Ships). Prof. Hokamoto (Faculty of Engrg.; Guidance and Control) is undertaking the design of a flight control system while overseas deployment of the system is being addressed by Prof. Yabuno (Faculty of Law; Politics). Meanwhile, Prof. Sakaguchi (Venture Business Lab.) is in charge of the future development plan of the system, while Mr. Iinuma (Venture Business Lab.) and myself (Faculty of Engrg.; Guidance and Control) are responsible for the design of the blimp. Finally, Prof. Aso (Faculty of Engrg.; Aerodynamics) will be assisting the project in developing an aerodynamic design and, in addition, the project will need the assistance of a number of research associates and graduate students.〜 Future 〜
The design of the blimp is now underway and, this coming fall, a finished prototype model will be brought into the campus for static and dynamic tests. By the end of the fiscal year 2000, the whole system will be subjected to outdoor tests with all the payload on board. Putting the system to practical use, however, will require a few more years in order to overcome all the teething problems that the project team may confront.Therefore, the question of how to raise funds for the project in the years after the P & P subsidy comes to an end remains to be addressed.
Norihiro Goto was born in 1943. He received his Bachelor's, Master's and Dr. of Eng. Degrees, all from the Department of Aeronautics, the University of Tokyo. He joined the Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University in 1972 as a lecturer, and has been a professor since 1988. At 1975-76, he was an NRC Research Associate at the NASA Ames Research Center, pursuing research on highly augmented aircraft handling qualities. His current research interests include nonlinear flight dynamics and vibration suppression in the general area of aircraft guidance and control. He is the supervisor of the Glider Club of Kyushu University. Hobbies include playing "GO" and Chinese poem recitation.
