Ukraine and UK strengthen partnership in mine action
July 19, 2024
Ukrainian developers, within the framework of the "Safe Field" hackathon, implemented on the initiative of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine together with the Kyiv School of Economics, tested their developments for mowing thick vegetation on a proving ground. Four teams presented different projects: from robotic tractors to multi-platforms designed to help sappers work more effectively in fields with tall grass and bushes.
"Holding this hackathon is a response to the request of Ukrainian sappers whom I spoke to during my trip to the Kharkiv region. Both those working in the east and those working in the south of the country need remote-controlled, inexpensive mowers to demine our territories faster and safer. A trained and drilled sapper must work with a mine detector and a probe, rather than cutting grass and bushes by hand until getting blisters on their fingers. What a machine can do safely – a machine should do, not a human," said Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Ihor Bezkaravainyi.
During the tests on the proving ground, each team had a strictly defined time to mow the designated area. The jury evaluated the power of the machines, autonomy of work, quality of navigation and remote control, ability to overcome obstacles, vegetation mowing height, etc.
"I am grateful to the participants who, in a rather short time, developed the products we were able to see on the field today. Through joint efforts, we will make the work of our sappers in the fields safer," stated the head of the Kyiv School of Economics business school Valentyna Makhno.
Representatives of the State Special Transport Service, the National Police, and the National Guard of Ukraine, who could be the recipients of such mowers, observed the tests on the proving ground.
"In the de-occupied territories, there are many abandoned fields overgrown with thick grass and bushes. And grass-mowing machines paired with demining groups will be able to quickly survey them. I am glad to see Ukrainian developers offering quite interesting solutions for mowing grass, and we await them in our scientific research institute for certification," explained the head of the mine action department – deputy head of the Main Directorate for Mine Action, Civil Protection and Environmental Safety, Colonel Oleh Shuvarskyi.
The first stage of the hackathon took place on May 25, during which the developer teams presented their concepts. The task was to create robotic mowers capable of mowing grass effectively and being inexpensive to produce so that in the event of a mine explosion, such a machine could be quickly replaced. The price of the projects presented by the developers ranges from $5.5 thousand to $19.5 thousand per unit.
As a reminder, the issue of humanitarian demining is coordinated by the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine — Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko. The Ministry of Economy of Ukraine ensures interaction with central executive authorities on mine action issues regarding humanitarian demining.
