Innovations in the area of Defence Support Systems are multi-disciplinary, cover a broad range of technologies, and could not possibly be covered within a single volume. This research book presents a sample of research as below: • On the Transition of Innovation and Technology in Defence • Inserting Innovations In-service • Classification of Battlefield Ground Vehicles based on the Acoustic Emissions • Convoy Movement Problem – An Optimization Perspective • Machine Vision Algorithms for Autonomous Aerial Refueling for UAVs using the USAF Refueling Boom Method • Motion Optimization Scheme for Cooperative Mobile Robots • An Automated Decision System for Landmine Detection and Classification The book is directed to the application engineers, research students, professors, decision makers and scientists & engineers working in defence and related areas.

This book provides readers with a solid understanding of the capabilities and limitations of the techniques used for buried object detection. Presenting theory along with applications and the existing technology, it covers the most recent developments in hardware and software technologies of sensor systems with a focus on primary sensors such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and auxiliary sensors such as Nuclear Quadruple Resonance (NQR). It is essential reading for students, practitioners, specialists, and academicians involved in the design and implementation of buried object detection sensors.

Anti-personnel Landmine Detection for Humanitarian Demining reports on state-of-the-art technologies developed during a Japanese National Research Project (2002–2007). The conventional method of landmine detection is using metal detectors to sense the metal in mines, but often other metal fragments in minefields camouflage landmines and hinder progress using this form of demining. The challenge is to develop detection systems that can discriminate between AP landmines and random metal fragments. The JST adopted research proposals and the results are reported here. This book concentrates on aspects of three approaches to AP mine detection: enhancing and confirming the results of metal-detection scans using GPR; using robot vehicles and manipulators to operate within minefields remotely; and methods of sensing the explosives within mines. Results are presented in the fields of GPR, nuclear quadrupole resonance, neutron thermal analysis and biosensors. The integration of these methods for workable robot operation is demonstrated. The project was carried out in conjunction with mine action centers in Croatia, Cambodia and Afghanistan. Evaluation data from field trials are also given.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 6th KES International Conference on Agent and Multi-Agent Systems, KES-AMSTA 2012, held in Dubrovnik, Croatia, in June 2012. The conference attracted a substantial number of researchers and practitioners from all over the world who submitted their papers for ten main tracks covering the methodology and applications of agent and multi-agent systems, one workshop (TRUMAS 2012) and five special sessions on specific topics within the field. The 66 revised papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected for inclusion in the book. The papers are organized in topical sections on virtual organizations, knowledge and learning agents, intelligent workflow, cloud computing and intelligent systems, self-organization, ICT-based alternative and augmentative communication, multi-agent systems, mental and holonic models, assessment methodologies in multi-agent and other paradigms, business processing agents, Trumas 2012 (first international workshop), conversational agents and agent teams, digital economy, and multi-agent systems in distributed environments.

The chapters in this volume were presented at the July–August 2008 NATO Advanced Study Institute on Unexploded Ordnance Detection and Mitigation. The conference was held at the beautiful Il Ciocco resort near Lucca, in the glorious Tuscany region of northern Italy. For the ninth time we gathered at this idyllic spot to explore and extend the reciprocity between mathematics and engineering. The dynamic interaction between world-renowned scientists from the usually disparate communities of pure mathematicians and applied scientists which occurred at our eight previous ASI’s continued at this meeting. The detection and neutralization of unexploded ordnance (UXO) has been of major concern for very many decades; at least since the First World war. UXO continues to be the subject of intensive research in many ?elds of science, incl- ing mathematics, signal processing (mainly radar and sonar) and chemistry. While today’s headlines emphasize the mayhem resulting from the placement of imp- vised explosive devices (IEDs), humanitarian landmine clearing continues to draw signi?cant global attention as well. In many countries of the world, landmines threaten the population and hinder reconstruction and fast, ef?cient utilization of large areas of the mined land in the aftermath of military con?icts.