Mine Kafon Ball
The original Mine Kafon Ball is a large wind-powered device, heavy enough to detonate landmines as it rolls across the ground. Massoud Hassani drew inspiration for the project from his childhood growing up on the outskirts of Kabul, where he would play around the minefields with homemade, wind-powered toys.
The Mine Kafon Ball is approximately the height and weight of the average man, allowing it to trigger landmines as it rolls across them. The core is a 17 kg iron casing, surrounded by dozens of low-cost bamboo legs; each capped with specially designed compliant plastic “feet” which can adapt to rough terrains. The ball is equipped with a GPS unit that maps the route the Mine Kafon Ball has taken, allowing data to be utilised by local communities and others.
The Mine Kafon Documentary
Watch the short documentary about the Mine Kafon Ball, and how the idea behind it played an important role in the early lives of Massoud and Mahmud Hassani. The film, directed by Callum Cooper, was a finalist at the Focus Forward category at Sundance Film Festival 2013.
The Mine Kafon Ball showcased how design driven by functionality, environment and artistry can educate and empower primary users, whilst inspiring others into involvement with an issue such as mine aid. Since then and based on such principles, the company has now expanded into a progressive R&D Lab, seeking to unify disruptive innovation with unmet market needs.
The MK Ball Wall of Photos
Massoud’s TEDx Utrecht Talk
Take a few minutes to listen to Massoud talk about the worldwide landmine problem, the Mine Kafon Ball, and how the company behind the project hopes to make a difference. The device originally meant to be Massoud’s graduation project developed into an art piece that raised awareness about a major international issue, and started a project that would later lead to the creation of the MK Drone range.
“It’s angering that not everybody has signed this treaty to ban landmines. It’s disgusting, it really is, because it is fact that [mines] hurt a high percentage of civilians. They’re not effective in any other real way. They’ve enough weapons for war”.