Prodder with force feedback

A land mine detector having force feedback comprising:

• a probe including a rod having a driving end and a sensing end for prodding an object buried beneath the ground, the driving end coupled to a transducer for imparting mechanical energy into the rod towards the sensing end in contact with the object and for detecting an electrical signal corresponding to reflected waves reflected from the object;
• a housing including a first cavity containing a fluid and for supporting the probe such that the volume of the fluid within the first cavity is affected by pressure applied to the prodding end of the rod;
• a force sensor fluidly coupled to the first cavity for determining a change in pressure of a fluid within the first cavity and for providing an electrical signal indicative thereof;
• and,
• an electronics module for processing the electrical signals, for determining the force exerted on the rod, and for determining force-independent material characteristics of the buried object for comparing with stored material characteristics of known objects so as to categorize the object's material.

A force feedback device for use with a prodder for probing the ground for buried objects, said prodder including a rod having a driving end and a sensing end for placing in contact with an object, a transducer coupled to the driving end for converting electrical signals into mechanical vibrations for being transmitted through the rod from the driving end to the object and for converting mechanical vibrations reflected from the object into electrical signals related to the material characteristics of the object and a force with which the rod is applied to the object, and an electronics module for processing the electrical signals related to the material characteristics of the object and the force with which the rod is applied to the object, said force feedback device comprising:

• a body having a cavity, a sealed end, and an open end;
• a diaphragm secured to the open end for retaining a fluid within the cavity and for sustaining deflections in dependence upon a pressure fluctuation of a fluid external the cavity;
• and,
• a sensor for measuring the deflections of the diaphragm and for providing electrical signals to the electronics module indicative of said pressure fluctuation, the pressure fluctuation in dependence upon the force with which the rod is applied to the object.