In 2013, I flew low over the whole of Ukraine and saw the extent of the stunning agricultural riches of Ukraine. I was bowled over by the volume and quality of production. Since then, I have personally been involved in agriculture in Ukraine and have friends who have lost their entire livelihoods in Kherson. My friends have come to me with a project which will help the farming community restart and rebuild. The design has been completed but now funding is required for a prototype, and they are confident of then securing ongoing funding for full production. 
Since 24 February 2022, Russian armed forces have mined agricultural fields in more than 6 regions of Ukraine, using anti-personnel as well as anti-tank mines.
Ukraine has lost 25% of its sown area. Ukraine plays a crucial role in global food supply – worth more than $27 billion worldwide, of which $7.6 billion goes to Europe (including the UK). The longer the war lasts, the more insecurity around food supplies may persist, not only to Ukraine but to the whole world.
How the equipment works
- Purpose-built drone determines the boundaries of the agricultural field and identifies foreign objects (including mines and missiles), and generates safe navigation lines for the unmanned vehicle;
- The drone map loads onto the control system of the unmanned vehicle, which allows the vehicle to move directly through fields to the dangerous objects already identified; further identification of the objects and location (accurate to within 2 cm) is undertaken which facilitates de-mining or neutralisation;
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Benefits of the New Unmanned System
- Current technology requires teams of personnel on the ground to manually search each field with the use of expensive foreign equipment designed for urban clearance; using this method would take decades to clear the fields.
- Fields which are clear of mines will be rapidly identified allowing immediate safe cultivation to re-commence.
- Ease of use of the anti-mine equipment allowing farmers to explore fields without involving external organisations.
- Low cost - possibility of farmers using existing agricultural machinery when the system is in commercial use.
- Design already completed.
- Deemed to be in advance of anything else in the world.
- Technology will be handed over for the use of the State De-Mining Organisations and made available to other conflict areas.
Frendt are a team of 70 specialists who work exclusively in the field of IT solutions for agriculture. Over the past 8 years, they have worked with over 7,000 farms in Ukraine.
The Unmanned Anti-Mine Equipment Prototype Development Team comprises:
- Ukrainian Precision Farming Expert and founder of FRENDT, Technical Director, Purchasing Manager, Financial Department, 2 Design Engineers, 2 mechanics, Geoinformation systems expert;
- Ukrainian Vinnyt’sia Technical University represented by Dr of Technical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Optoelectronic Systems; 4 candidates of Technical Sciences, Associate Professors of the Department of Automobiles and the Department of Optoelectronic; 2 laboratory staff; 2 engineers;
- Vinnyt’sia Regional State Administration.