Improved Detectin, Locatization, and Characterization of Non-Ferrous metallic Objects

There is a serious shortfall in the detectio of buried ordnance, mines, and submunitions with metallic, but non-ferrous, cases. These non-ferrous objects cannot be detected by passive magnetometers. Non-ferrous metals can be detected by active electromagnetic methods, but existing metal detectors have inadequate detection range, and do nothing to distinguish buried ordnance from other metallic clutter. We propose an improved metal detector which will detect, locate, and characterize non-ferrous ordnance at a standoff distance close to two meters. The AC magnetic gradiometer (ACMG), will improve detection range by combining sensitive magnetic sensors with advance techniques of applied-field rejection. The ACMG will locate and characterize targets by measuring all independant components of the magnetic response gradient, at varying frequencies and applied-field orientations. This approach is an extension of our work with IBM on the room-temperature three-sensor gradiometer, a multicomponent magnetic gradiometer developed for the Navy. During Phase I, we will delinate (1) the optimum frequency regime for target characterization, (2) the best sensor type, (3) the detection algorithms, (4) the design of a prototype metal dector, and (5) the detection range, size, weight, power consumption and cost of a field instrument.