Growing up in Colombia, where daily news reports highlighted the devastating impact of landmines on people's lives, Rubio was inspired to address this issue in his home country. He led the development of RELand, an innovative tool that assists humanitarian organizations in more precisely identifying mine-contaminated areas.
Developed by a team of students and faculty, the system uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze data on mine contamination. It combines machine learning, geographic information, and socio-demographic data to create accurate predictions about the risk of mine contamination.
The tool has already been tested in field conditions in Colombia in collaboration with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and humanitarian organizations.
The results of the tests are promising: the system successfully predicted the presence of mines in several areas, while in other locations where the risk was assessed as low, no mines were found. In 2023, humanitarian organizations discovered three mines in an area marked by RELand as non-hazardous.
Rory Collins, a UN representative, noted that AI helps accelerate the demining process and enhances the safety of workers. Despite these successes, Mateo Dulce Rubio and his team continue to improve the system and plan to expand its use to other conflict-affected countries, such as Afghanistan and Ukraine, where mines and unexploded ordnance continue to threaten the lives of civilians.
RELand represents a step towards making mine-clearing more effective and purposeful, helping affected countries reclaim their land and ensure peace and stability for their citizens.