System for the detection and classification of buried unexploded ordnance

Abstract

A sensor system for detecting buried metal objects such as unexploded ordnance and the collection of data for the classification of the detected objects based on parameters extracted from the collected data includes a wheeled cart, positioned on which is an array of transmitter coils for transmitting a series of excitation signals onto the area of interest and a sensor array of receiver coils and preamplifiers for receiving back the resultant eddy current decays emitted by the buried objects, a computer, and data acquisition electronics for acquiring and storing the received decays as decay data within the computer. The incoming EMI data are digitized and a data fitting process is performed to extract fit location and shape parameters. These data can be transferred to other data analysis systems for comparison to previously recorded signatures to determine whether the received decay data from the area of interest is attributable to buried metal objects or conversely to an object constituting an anomaly.