Can this giant ball which gets blown around in the wind rid the world of landmines?

Dandelion-shaped devices are made simply of bamboo, iron and plastic

Can carry GPS tracking devices to show which areas have been cleared

Brainchild of designer who fled war-torn Afghanistan when he was 14

There are an estimated 30m landmines in the country, more than people



It might look like an unused prop from the Star Wars films, but this giant ball has the potential to save thousands of lives.

Like a giant clump of dandelion seeds, it is designed to be blown around in the wind detonating landmines in its path.

Made simply of bamboo, iron and plastic, each one is relatively cheap to produce and can clear up to four bombs before being destroyed themselves.

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Going ball-istic: This spherical device has been designed to be blown around in the wind detonating landmines

On a roll: The balls are made of bamboo, plastic and iron which mean they are relatively cheap to make

Each device, called Mine Kafon, will have a GPS tracking device linked to a website to show which areas have been cleared.

They are the brainchild of Massoud Hassani, who at the age of 14 fled war-torn Afghanistan, where there are more landmines than people.

He travelled with smugglers to Pakistan and Russian before settling down in Holland to study at the Design Academy Eindhoven.

Having a blast: Each device can include a GPS tracking device to show which areas have been cleared

Potential life-savers: The devices are the brainchild of Massoud Hassani, who fled war-torn Afghanistan at the age of 14

Simple, but highly effective: Mr Hassani said he had the idea for his invention after making miniature models during his childhood which would often blow into minefields

Eliminating the danger: Depending on which part of the device the mines hit, they could destroy up to four bombs before they become unuseable Blown to bits: There are an estimated 30million landmines in Afghanistan, more than one for each person

MINES KILL DOZENS EACH YEAR



Clearing landmines is a perilous and all-too-often fatal operation.

While the military have increasingly been using robots for seek and destroy missions, sometimes they can only be carried out by soldiers, above.

Landmines and roadside bombs kill or maim dozens of soldiers each year in Afghanistan. Conservative estimates put the number of landmines in the country at around 10million, but it is thought there could be many times more.

Mr Hassani said he had the idea for his invention after making miniature models during his childhood.

He and his brother would make their own toys, small wind-powered cylinders which would often get blown into a minefield, where they could not get them back.

He said: 'Me and my brother Mahmud, we played every day on the fields surrounded with the highest mountains in our neighborhood.



'There was always a strong wind waving towards the mountains. While we were racing against each other, our small miniatures rolled way to fast and too far.



'Mostly they landed in areas where we were not allowed to step a foot on.



'Those areas were very dangerous because of the landmines. It was full of them. I still remember those friends that we have lost and saw them getting injured.'



He said: 'I thought "I am going to make these objects 20 times bigger and heavier".

'There are 30million landmines in Afghanistan and 26million people, so that’s more mines than people.'

Mr Hassani has teamed up with the Dutch Explosive Disposal Ordnance Unit to test it in the Moroccan desert, but in its present form they say it is not suitable for military purposes.

Undeterred, Mr Hassani is now looking for a solution. 'I hope they can help me build these things,' he said.

Helping others: Mr Hassani came up with his invention while studying at the Design Academy Eindhoven in Holland, where he fled to from his war-torn country



Developing his idea: Mr Hassani teamed up with the Dutch Explosive Disposal Ordnance Unit to test his minehunter in the Moroccan desert