Presently deployed metal detectors can detect low-metal content mines, but cannot discriminate mines from metallic clutter. Their operation remains plagued by unacceptably high false alarm rates; 70% of remediation costs go to the excavation of shrapnel, spent bullet casings, and other clutter. Quantum Magnetics proposes a revolutionary enhancement to conventional metal detectors. Using a multi-component magnetic gradiometer as the receiver enables not only detection, but also localization, of an object. Wideband, multi-frequency excitation and advanced signal processing (collaborating with Duke University) can characterize metallic targets, discriminating mines and UXO from clutter. The system is a single tool to detect, locate and characterize both landmines and UXO. It lends itself to integration with other sensor technologies, such as ground-penetrating radar, soil conductivity anomaly sensors, and Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR). QM is the world leader in NQR for detection of bulk explosive charges in landmines. In Phase I, we will collect passive (magnetic) and active (electromagnetic) signatures of various types of simulant mines (SIMs) and clutter; we will then use these signatures to demonstrate the enhanced discrimination afforded by wideband excitation and signal processing. In Phase II, we will develop a prototype using gradiometer technology leveraged from other efforts.
Benefits: The military and humanitarian demining market for a truly high-performance metal detector numbers in the many thousands of units, worldwide. At a projected per-unit price of no more than $10,000, this yields a demining market size of up to $100 million in sales, not counting in-service support and upgrades. The technology can be adapted for concealed weapons detection in a variety of security and law enforcement applications, and it finally has a limited sales potential in the hobbyist (beachcomber, prospector, metal scavenger) arena.
