A low-cost build-it-yourself polarimetric camera can help teams see if anti-personnel mines are hidden in natural terrain. David Prutchi, the DOLPi camera’s developer, won the 2016 Design News Gadget Freak of the Year award for his development.

DOLPi camera. Credit: David PrutchiThe DOLPi is an affordable Raspberry Pi-based polarization camera that can be used to see polarized light. Users gain the ability to detect unseen objects like pollutants and hidden explosive devices such as mines.

Prutchi chose the Raspberry Pi for the camera’s CPU because it is easily available, relatively inexpensive, and can produce a metric image.

By building the device themselves de-mining teams can save possibly thousands of dollars. “If you buy one of these cameras, it will cost more than $30,000,” says Prutchi. “The DOLPi is in the $100 range, so it can be created by any group around the world very cheaply.”

Find build instructions and a video showing the DOLPi in use by clicking here.