AOTM
3D-printed teaching materials, to help save lives by teaching how to diffuse and dispose of bombs
The number of people killed and injured by landmines and improvised explosive devices (IED) has hit an alarming 10-year high, as international funding to clear mines has sunk to the lowest level in a decade, a new report finds. Armed conflict in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen led to the "sharp spike" in deaths, according to the Landmine Monitor 2016 of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. In 2015, the organization recorded 6,461 victims, a 75 per cent increase from the year before and the highest recorded total since 2006. The majority of those victims, 78 per cent, were civilians. Across geography and language barriers, bomb disposal technicians must all understand the same key concepts in order to do their job safely. The Advanced Ordnance Teaching Materials (AOTM) comprises 10 models made using consumer grade 3-D printers that teach technicians-in-training how to properly diffuse and dispose of bombs.