Fusion of data, a priori information, contextual information and experts’ knowledge for decision making support in mine suspected area reduction

Some of the main problems in humanitarian demining are indeterminacy and lack of knowledge about current situation inside a mine suspected area (MSA). The borders of MSA are determined on the basis of information from mine information system (MIS: detected mines, mine incidents, interviews with population, minefield records, geodetic basis (maps, orthophoto maps), …). However, MSA in Croatia is a ‘’live matter’’ and changes in years after the conflict (people come back and use land in different ways). Because of that, the main idea of fusion of data, a priori information, contextual information and experts’ knowledge is analyze, interpret and combine all type of data about some MSA for getting information on current situation inside this particular MSA. These information are presented on danger maps [3] and support experts for humanitarian demining in the decision making about mine suspected area reduction or confirm suspicions in MSA [3]. In data fusion the images of airborne acquisition are used for detecting and enhancement of indicators of mine absence (IMA) [1] [4] and mine presence (IMP) [1] [4]. Furthermore, in data fusion a priori information, contextual information and experts’ knowledge are used for linking indicators with their impacts on environment and on each other within MSA. These impacts and levels of danger are shown on the danger maps [4]. The confidence map [4] is also an important product of data fusion, because it gives confidence (analytical assessment) of every statement on a danger map.