Another Genius Idea

Destroy mines with creativity, Massoud Hassani has created a working prototype to create safe paths through mine fields.

A designer raised in Kabul in Afghanistan and now living in the Netherlands, as a boy he played with self-made toys. One of his favourites was a small rolling wind-powered object that he used to “race against the other kids on the fields around our neighbourhood. There was always a strong wind waving towards the mountains. While we were racing against each other, our toys rolled too fast and too far. Mostly they landed in areas where we couldn’t go rescue them because of landmines. I still remember those toys I’d made that we lost and watching them just beyond where we could go.”
Almost 20 years later, he went back to Kabul and made those toys again as a garduation project.

He calls it a “Mine Kafon”. It destroys mines when it rolls over them, and it has a GPS chip integrated in it. so its movements can be followed to work out the safest paths to walk on and how many land mines are destroyed in that area.

Also, as it’s made from bamboo and biodegradable plastics, each one costs 40 Euros i.e. affordable.