The long time programme ?Mine Detection-Technologies for Humanitarian Mine Clearing? was initiated by the BMBF (FMER) in 2003 to concentrate the available German research and development capacity to the problems of the humanitarian demining.

In October 2003 the phase one, called ?Metal detectors for humanitarian demining - Development potentials in data analysis methodology and measurement technology?, did start. It is including the scientific mathematical and physical tools for signal analysis and 3-D modelling on a sophisticated level, backed up with real data, gathered from COTS instrumentation and improved testing procedures.

The HuMin/MD project is focused to the reduction of the false alarm rate for metal detectors. The main approach was outlined within the project starting background paper (http://pt-uf.pt-dlr.de/13_146.htm).

With a budget of 4.5 Mio ? for the HuMin/MD project a running time of 3 years is projected. The project management is conducted by the PT-DLR (http://www.dlr.de/pt) under the responsibility of Dr. Gerd-Henning Klein (e-mail: metall@dlr.de).

Some more details were released in a presentation held by Dr. Modrich (?Use of metal detectors for electromagnetic induction local 3D imaging?) at the EUDEM2-SCOT-2003 Conference Brussels in September 2003.

There was established a joint project network from several scientific institutions, coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (FhG-IPA).

The HuMin/MD project was taken into account for the ITEP 2004 planning under project No.: 2.1.1.7. This is indicating its practical background. More details can be found under: http://www.itep.ws/activities/itep_workplan/ITEP Workplan_Jan2004.pdf. The mentioned prototypes seems to be a part of the development within the next phase under the additional participation of detector manufacturers.