A Japanese businessman has invented a special hydraulic excavator designed specifically to safely remove landmines. Kiyoshi Amemiya was struck by the horrific damage caused by landmines during a 1994 trip to Cambodia. Upon returning to Japan, he outfitted a backhoe-like machine with 40 spinning blades inside a drum with is strengthened to withstand up to 10,000 explosions. An integrated electromagnet then picks up the metal fragments. Amemiya refuses to sell the machines to the world’s militaries, instead donating them to countries in need through the United Nations. [Thanks, Warren!]
