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Massoud Hassani is born in Afghanistan but later moves to Holland in search of a new life. His upbringing in Afghanistan proves to be critical in his determination to design with purpose. -
Inspired by his childhood in Afghanistan, Massoud Hassani was inspired to make a difference. -
The Afghan-born designer was said to have been inspired by tumbleweeds and how they are propelled by the wind. It is also reported that Massoud often made wind-powered toys as a young boy in Afghanistan. -
For his final project at design school, Massoud worked on a project based on the four elements: water, fire, earth and wind and modelled his ideas of the childhood toys he used to create. Pictured here the first prototypes. -
The designer created a giant ball that was light enough to be blown around by the wind. The first prototype was made of a lightweight ball with wooden poles and frisbees screwed onto each pole. Inspired by the dandelion each pole could be replaceable with the idea that the kafon would be modular. -
Based off the dandelion's structure, the Mine Kafon only loses a few legs with each landmine detonation, giving it the ability to destroy up to 3-4 landmines in each journey. -
Both the tumbleweed and the dandelion inspired the first drawings of The Mine Kafon which were later included in his exhibition at the MOMA. -
The Mine Kafon is entered into the product category for Design of the Year competition and wins -
With just a working prototype, Massoud is recognised globally for his innovative thinking, by being asked to speak at Design Events and having the prototypes displayed around the world. -
in 2013, Hassani, launched The Mine Kafon Foundation, based in Eindhoven, Netherlands -
In order to forward the manufacture and production of The Mine Kafon, Hassani launches a Kickstarter to raise $100 000 . -
Hassani pledges to inspire others to join in to help make the world mine-free by 2027. -
Not only has Massoud Hassani been able to approach the challenge of clearing minefields from an unique perspective, but his innovative approach is also cost-effective, with each device costing roughly $50USD to produce compared to what it currently costs at $1200. -
Not only has Mine Kafon been featured at Dutch Design Week at been on display at the Museum of Modern Art, importantly it has started a conversation about a global problem and how innovation can play a key role in overcoming challenges by looking to nature and design thinking. -
Massoud has evolved the project to examine how drones can be used to tackle the problem of landmines. And after extensive testing, the very first drones are about to be used in Mali and are currently in talks with 50 companies and governments, from Iraq to South Korea.