Metal detector project aims for improved security

Metal detectors are used in everything from airports, event security and landmine clearance, to food safety, scrap sorting and archaeological surveys.

The technology is simple and portable, making it cost-effective for a range of safety and security applications.

But existing metal detectors are limited in their ability to distinguish between objects of different shapes and materials, and can only detect objects hidden a small distance below the surface.

Now, in a new EPSRC-funded project, a team of UK researchers led by Dr Paul Ledger, Associate Professor in the College of Engineering at Swansea University, are developing new techniques to improve metal detection technology.

“With current metal detection technology it can be hard to distinguish between objects that are located close to the surface, and other objects buried deeper,” said Ledger. “So trying to distinguish between the different shapes and the different material properties of these objects is quite difficult.”

Very thin objects such as fine wires can be particularly difficult to detect with existing metal detection technology, for example, as can some landmine components, due to their low metallic content.