Now that you’ve had some time to practice with the game, how would you feel about doing some real mine sweeping? You can now do that too on Windows Phone, thanks to SAPER! The app itself is no fun and games, though.
SAPER (minesweeper in Polish) is an acronym for Sensor Amplified Perception for Explosives Recognition. The app uses Windows Phone’s magnetometer to detect the magnetic field around 40 different types of explosive material from 30 cm away. It compares magnetic disturbance signatures to a database via a cloud connection and gives you a probable threat cause and also the type of explosive, when possible. The explosive is then added to a map for future extraction.
Made as an Imagine Cup entry, SAPER is currently exclusive to Windows Phone. There are plans to develop it further to also detect other things, like electric wires, or do body scans.
The technology obviously isn’t meant to replace real explosive detection tools, but it will come in very handy if all you’re equipped with is your phone. It’s truly wonderful to see smartphones being used for something really important. Landmines are a huge problem in many countries and giving civilians the ability to stay a bit safer is exactly the kind of thing that Imagine Cup set out to do.
There’s also this promo video, that unfortunately, may end up feeling a bit tastless with its somewhat clumsy attempts to appeal to emotion over this actually serious issue. It doesn’t make the app any worse, though.
SAPER turns your phone into a real mine detector is a post from: Windows Phone Fans
