Enhanced Magnetoquasistatic (Inductive) Metal Detection and New Electroquasistatic (Capacitive) Plas

The need to detect and locate individual landmines and minefields using man-portable or vehicle-mounted mine detectors is expected to continue, either as a stand-alone capability or a complement to remote detection. Casualties are common, yet minimal improvements to conventional mine detectors have been realized. This proposal introduces two new sensing capabilites that are complementary and have real potential for near term field deployability and supportability. These are a magnetoquasistatic, inductive sensor called the Meandering Winding Magnetometer (MWM), and an electroquasistatic, capacitive sensor called an Interdigitated Electrode Dielectrometer (IDED). The five objectives of this proposed Phase I effort are: (1) demonstrate the potential to detect, identify, and measure depth and shape of buried metallic objects, using an MWM, (2) demonstrate potential to detect, identify, and measure depth of buried non-metallic objects, using an IDED, (3) determine the range of objects that must be detected and the surrounding compositions that must be penetrated, (4) investigate signal processing and optimization requirements, and (5) determine mission suitability. The Phase I effort will include both model-based simulations and experimental demonstrations of capability. The Phase II effort will also investigate synergism of the quantitative IDED and MWM mine detection capabilities with available and anticipated remote detection technologies. Successful completion of the Phase I effort will provide the Army with an enhanced capability to detect metallic landmines, and a new ability to detect plastic or other non-metallic landmines. This will provide quantitative characterization features for integration into multi-sensor systems. Successful results will also enhance traditional nondestructive evaluation applications, such as aging infrastructure inspection.