Dutch company Mine Kafon turns wind-powered childhood toy into low-cost mine clearing system.

On March 31, 2025, Roy shared some information about the Mine Kafon Ball, a Dutch wind-powered device intended to detonate anti-personnel landmines as it moves across the ground. Developed by designer Massoud Hassani, the concept was based on his childhood experiences in Kabul, Afghanistan, where he and his brother Mahmud played near minefields with wind-powered toys. Afghanistan remains heavily affected by landmines, with an estimated 10 million mines buried across roughly 500 square kilometers. At the age of 14, Hassani was smuggled out of the country and later settled in the Netherlands, where he studied Industrial Design at the Design Academy Eindhoven. The Mine Kafon Ball was created as his 2011 graduation project.
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The structure of the Mine Kafon Ball includes a 17 kg iron core surrounded by dozens of bamboo legs, each tipped with compliant plastic feet designed to adapt to uneven and rough terrain. (Picture source: Mine Kafon)

The Mine Kafon Ball device is approximately the height and weight of an average adult male, enabling it to trigger anti-personnel mines. Its structure includes a 17 kg iron core surrounded by dozens of bamboo legs, each tipped with compliant plastic feet designed to adapt to uneven and rough terrain. As the ball rolls, it sets off landmines and records its route using an onboard GPS module. This data can be accessed by local communities and relevant organizations to support ongoing clearance operations. The bamboo legs are made to be inexpensive and easily replaceable.

The project drew public interest through a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2012, which raised £119,456—exceeding its goal of £100,000. Following this, Hassani and his team established the Mine Kafon Foundation in 2013 in Eindhoven as a research and development organization. The ball received attention from several exhibitions and institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City and the Design Museum in London, where it was a finalist for the Design of the Year Award in 2012. It was also featured in "The Fab Mind" exhibition in Tokyo in 2014. The design has been compared to a starburst or a dandelion puff ball and has been referred to as an example of visually expressive engineering. In a short documentary film directed by Callum Cooper, the origin of the device and its design was presented. This film was a finalist in the Focus Forward category at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013.

Although the Mine Kafon Ball functions in open, windy environments, its practical application for demining is limited. Henk van der Slik of the Dutch Explosive Ordnance Disposal service stated that the device may be useful for identifying areas of concern but may be problematic in terms of retrieval and repair once damaged in a minefield.

Building on the concept of the ball, Hassani and his team expanded into aerial technologies and developed the Mine Kafon Drone (MKD). This drone-based demining platform was field-tested in collaboration with the Dutch Ministry of Defence. The MKD system includes a three-phase process: mapping an area with 3D imaging, detecting mines with a metal detector mounted on a retractable arm, and using a robotic arm to place detonators before retreating to a safe distance. The system relies on a combination of GPS, cameras, and onboard computing. It has been designed to minimize human risk and lower operational costs. The foundation claims that the drone method is up to 20 times faster and 200 times less expensive than traditional clearance methods, which often involve trained personnel, dogs, and heavy equipment.

As the ball rolls, it sets off landmines and records its route using an onboard GPS module, and this data can be accessed by local communities and relevant organizations to support ongoing clearance operations. (Picture source: Mine Kafon)

A large-scale pilot project is being prepared for a 150 square kilometer area, equivalent to around 37,000 football stadiums. The operation is divided into two stages: the first involves ten mapping drones operating continuously over two months, followed by fifty detection drones covering the area over six months. Challenges in drone deployment include difficulties in using GPS for precise location tracking and in detecting long-buried mines. To address this, the team is exploring the use of external antennas for triangulation and plans to train drone operators and conduct trials in multiple countries.

The MKD project includes two main aerial platforms: the MK Destiny, which performs mapping using visual sensors, and the MK Manta, which carries multiple types of detection equipment. These unmanned aerial vehicles are intended to operate remotely to collect data over wide areas. The Mine Kafon Foundation organized a second crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter in July 2016, raising €177,456—exceeding the goal of €70,000. The team continues to optimize both the drone systems and their operational infrastructure, including the development of fixed base stations.

The impact of landmines remains significant. Globally, an estimated 100 million landmines remain buried across 60 countries. According to the United Nations, approximately 20,000 people are injured or killed by landmines each year, with most casualties being civilians—approximately 79% of total victims. Military personnel account for 18%, and professional mine sweepers comprise 3%. The cost to remove a single landmine ranges from $300 to $1,000, and the process is time-consuming. In Mozambique, 171,000 mines were laid during periods of conflict, leading to an estimated 15,000 deaths. Clearance efforts took 22 years and were completed in 2015.

The Mine Kafon Ball and Mine Kafon Drone systems have received several international awards and recognitions. These include Drone Hero Europe (2017) in Brussels, the Accenture Innovation Award (2017) in Utrecht, the Peres Heritage Initiative Award (2017) in Milan, and Certificates of Appreciation from events such as DIMDEX 2018 in Doha. The project was a finalist at multiple design awards, including the INDEX Awards in Copenhagen and the Rotterdam DesignPrijs. The Sundance Film Festival recognized the Mine Kafon short documentary with third place in the Focus Forward category in 2013. The Foundation has also received recognition in China, South Africa, and Austria, among others.

The Mine Kafon Ball device is approximately the height and weight of an average adult male, enabling it to trigger anti-personnel mines. (Picture source: Mine Kafon)