ROMSEY, England, August 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Roke Manor Research Ltd has just signed a development agreement and licensing deal with a U.S. company - Peak Resources Incorporated. Operating in Canada - Peak Resources - will licence Roke's cutting edge patents - 'cold sky' and 'Fig8' to develop mine detection systems.
The agreement is for the development of proprietary technology and products and the provision of consulting support in the field of landmine scanning, detection, mapping and removal.
The landmine detection system to be developed is for use in both Unmanned Aeronautical Vehicles (UAVs) and hand held devices. Roke has developed and owns the intellectual property rights for both a high level scanning sensor - 'cold sky', and a low level detection sensor - 'Fig8. Used together, they give a powerful competitive advantage in the field of mine detection. They are both small and low power systems and have the potential to achieve good performance at the detection ranges anticipated for the final system.
Peak Resources was chosen as the ideal partner for Roke, having an aligned vision and the core competencies needed to develop a mine detection system.
Roke has a strong lineage in mine detection technology for low cost effective mine clearance. In January 2001 the hand held mine detector, invented at Roke, won the Worldaware Innovations Prize because of its potential to reduce casualties in the third world. This was presented to Roke Manor at The Royal Institution London by the Rt Hon Donald McKinnon, Secretary General of the Commonwealth.
David Smith, Managing Director of Roke Manor is delighted to partner with Peak Resources Inc. "We are confident that this licensing agreement will allow us to bring practical low cost mine clearance to those countries where abandoned mines continue to wreak a terrible cost on human life." The licensing of our patents with the expertise of our engineers will compliment Peak Resources market focused approach."
As well as licensing these technologies, Roke will provide development support to Peak Resources to meet an aggressive timescale to develop a deployable system. The final deliverable is a fully integrated landmine detection and mapping system that will utilise a UAV to scan, identify, locate and map existing landmines. The mapping system software will be integrated with a GPS tracking system. A hand held device, with a self-generating battery power capacity for longer field use, will be an additional deliverable.
Peak will utilize its proprietary landmine scanning and detection system to develop a business of delivering landmine detection and removal services to governments, NGOs and commercial entities (oil and gas, mining, agriculture, utilities and other land based companies) in various regions of the world.
"Peak is committed to creating and deploying the most advanced technology based solution to the problem of locating and removing landmines. We are privileged and excited to enter into this exclusive agreement with one of the world's leading sensor technology developers." - Larry Olson, Peak President/CEO.
About Roke Manor Research
Owned by Siemens and based in Romsey, Hampshire, Roke Manor Research is an innovative solutions provider and contract R&D specialist. It pioneers developments in electronic sensors, networks, and communications technology, providing products and services to Siemens businesses, Government departments, and commercial customers. The company employs 478 people. Orders for the financial year ending 30 September 2007 were GBP44.85m and turnover for the same period was GBP42.55 million. For more information, visit http://www.roke.co.uk.
About Peak Resources Incorporated
Peak Resources Inc. currently trades on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol PKRC (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=PKRC.OB). Peak has been presented with an opportunity to develop a technology business focused on the scanning, mapping and removing of buried landmines. Landmine contamination represents a global humanitarian and economic development problem. Estimates vary from 75 million to more than 100 million active landmines scattered in over 80 countries. The Company will be playing a key role in freeing those countries held hostage by these indiscriminate weapons. We will facilitate economic and social re-development of contaminated areas, as well as reclaiming non-contaminated areas that are currently sitting idle. In 2006 international funding of mine action totalled $US $475 million.
Peak is in the process of changing its name to Mine Clearing Corp. It will be applying for a new trading symbol and be launching a fuller website. For more information go to: http://www.mineclearing.com
For further information please contact: Anita Allott, Corporate Marketing Manager, Roke Manor Research, t. +44(0)1794-833343, anita.allott@roke.co.uk
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