Designer Massoud Hassani’s wind powered demining device Mine Kafon has both been applauded and criticized. Critics were troubled by all the attention from media and museums for a device that never could be a real effective weapon against land mines. It didn’t bother Hassani, who is taking his quest against the mines to a next level.
According to the United Nations, up to 110 million mines have been laid across more than 70 countries since the 1960s. Between 15,000 and 20,000 people die each year due to land mines. Many more are maimed. Angola, with 20 million mines, and Afghanistan, with 10 million mines, are most affected.
In 2011 Mine Kafon was Hassani’s graduation project from the Design Academy Eindhoven. Mine Kafon is a wind powered spherical device that rolls across the fields and detonates mines on contact. After lots of press coverage and several awards, Hassani started a successful crowd-funding project to improve his design.
Since then Hassani has been experimenting with incorporating GPS location, as well as different forms of rolling devices with remote controlled electric engine power. Several prototypes already have been field tested with the help of the Dutch ministry of Defence.
In 2013 Hassani’s brother Mahmud officially joined the team and together they established the Mine Kafon Platform for further development of the demining devices. A web shop is added tot the website to raise more funding for the project. During a recent presentation Massoud Hassani announced that soon more information can be expected about a new system that will be able to chart mines in large areas.