LawrencetheMDer
Hero Member
- Feb 22, 2014
- 984
- 2,397
- 🏆 Honorable Mentions:
- 2
- Detector(s) used
-
Minelab Manticore, Minelab CTX3030 w 11" and 17" DD coils,
Minelab Excalibur II w 10" coil, Equinox 800 (4) w 11" and 15" coils,
Troy Shadow x2 w 7" coil, Pointers; Garrett Carrot, Pro Find 35,
- Primary Interest:
- Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
If you've been around for a few years you can appreciate the advances in metal detecting over the past few decades. Better discrimination algorithms, notch filters, multiple frequency detectors and the development of PI machines, to name a few of the advances. What does the future hold for Metal detecting? Here are a few wide ideas.
Voice Identification
There are a number of metal detectors that help identify targets, with modest accuracy, and provide a number output or different sounds based on target specifics. The next logical step is to integrate a human voice response to a target, such as "Gold", "Silver", or "Junk". A voice response could even tell you that the target could be several things: "either a small gold ring or tin foil". Or, a detector that says "dime 6 inches down". I predict voice response metal detectors in the next few yrs.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning
In the past 10 yrs or so there have been great strides in Artificial Intelligence - the ability of a machine to harness (machine) learning to improve future performance. Performance in this case would be to improve target identification with metal detectors. AI could improve target identification through strategies that primarily rely on repetition. For example, the detector could improve identification of targets by learning all the signal variations for a bottle cap, for example - when the cap is on a side or face-up or face-down or even in terms of different depths. Further, the machine could predict the identification of a bottle cap not previously exposed to. The same applies for all objects, good and bad. In fact, the AI machine learning metal detector could even develop different signatures for a target for different environments; wet sand vs dry soil, for example. Artificial intelligence could greatly improve target identification and lead to detectors with very high target recognition - no more guessing what is at the bottom of the scoop.
Use of Different Energy Spectrum
Metal detectors rely on very low alternating frequencies to the coil, generally from 3k - 100Khz, for detection and evaluation of targets. Pulse Induction (PI) detectors provide a brief pulse of energy that creates magnetic field eddy currents in near-by metal objects that can than be detected. The development of new technologies may afford a totally different way of detecting and identifying objects underground utilizing different energy spectrum such as near-infrared. Near-infrared spans the frequencies from 750nm - 950nm(i.e., 750 billion to 950 billion cycles per meter).
The advantage of using near-infrared spectrum is that it penetrates deep into seemingly solid objects including walls and human tissue. You may be familiar with adventure movies where the good guys use a machine to peer-into a house or hide-out. That is made possible by near-infrared energy. A near-infrared metal detector would be able to see through the ground and provide a visual image of the object of interest.
Metal Detectors Integrated with Other Objects
Imagine walking down the beach and metal detecting with your shoes! Such a device is currently possible given advances in wireless communication. Numerous standard metal detectors now offer wireless communication between the detector's coil/detection circuitry and wireless headphones (e.g., Minelab CTX3030). Or, as an alternative, the metal detecting shoes or shoe attachments could buzz or vibrate when a good target is detected. So, the next time you're walking down the beach, put on your metal detecting shoes and also don't forget your scoop.
A Bicycle built for metal detecting is not only feasible but actually put into use in the Daytona Beach area! Three years ago I met a Detectorist on the beach in New Smyrna, Fl who told me about a guy he met in Daytona who modified a tricycle that integrated a sweeping metal detector and showed me a picture of the modified bike. He also said that the morning he met the Detectorist/inventor that the gentleman had found 2 gold rings that morning! While riding on the beach is generally illegal, in the Daytona area even cars are legal to ride on the beach and many of the beaches in the area/east coast of Florida allow beach bicycles. Viola, a bike based metal detector.
A Robo-detector surely isn't far off. Imagine something like an iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner but one that travels on the hard wet sand or even across a parking lot or play field and integrates a metal detector. It could even plant a flag where targets are located.
If you made it this far, thanks for listening. I think metal detecting is not only physically challenging, if done right, but intellectually stimulating if you let your mind run with it...you're slowly walking down the beach watching your robo- metal detector in front of you plant flags at good target locations while telling you in your native language what the target was just flagged via wireless headphones. One after another, you retrieve the good targets with your sand scoop. Metal detecting is Gooood.
Voice Identification
There are a number of metal detectors that help identify targets, with modest accuracy, and provide a number output or different sounds based on target specifics. The next logical step is to integrate a human voice response to a target, such as "Gold", "Silver", or "Junk". A voice response could even tell you that the target could be several things: "either a small gold ring or tin foil". Or, a detector that says "dime 6 inches down". I predict voice response metal detectors in the next few yrs.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning
In the past 10 yrs or so there have been great strides in Artificial Intelligence - the ability of a machine to harness (machine) learning to improve future performance. Performance in this case would be to improve target identification with metal detectors. AI could improve target identification through strategies that primarily rely on repetition. For example, the detector could improve identification of targets by learning all the signal variations for a bottle cap, for example - when the cap is on a side or face-up or face-down or even in terms of different depths. Further, the machine could predict the identification of a bottle cap not previously exposed to. The same applies for all objects, good and bad. In fact, the AI machine learning metal detector could even develop different signatures for a target for different environments; wet sand vs dry soil, for example. Artificial intelligence could greatly improve target identification and lead to detectors with very high target recognition - no more guessing what is at the bottom of the scoop.
Use of Different Energy Spectrum
Metal detectors rely on very low alternating frequencies to the coil, generally from 3k - 100Khz, for detection and evaluation of targets. Pulse Induction (PI) detectors provide a brief pulse of energy that creates magnetic field eddy currents in near-by metal objects that can than be detected. The development of new technologies may afford a totally different way of detecting and identifying objects underground utilizing different energy spectrum such as near-infrared. Near-infrared spans the frequencies from 750nm - 950nm(i.e., 750 billion to 950 billion cycles per meter).
The advantage of using near-infrared spectrum is that it penetrates deep into seemingly solid objects including walls and human tissue. You may be familiar with adventure movies where the good guys use a machine to peer-into a house or hide-out. That is made possible by near-infrared energy. A near-infrared metal detector would be able to see through the ground and provide a visual image of the object of interest.
Metal Detectors Integrated with Other Objects
Imagine walking down the beach and metal detecting with your shoes! Such a device is currently possible given advances in wireless communication. Numerous standard metal detectors now offer wireless communication between the detector's coil/detection circuitry and wireless headphones (e.g., Minelab CTX3030). Or, as an alternative, the metal detecting shoes or shoe attachments could buzz or vibrate when a good target is detected. So, the next time you're walking down the beach, put on your metal detecting shoes and also don't forget your scoop.
A Bicycle built for metal detecting is not only feasible but actually put into use in the Daytona Beach area! Three years ago I met a Detectorist on the beach in New Smyrna, Fl who told me about a guy he met in Daytona who modified a tricycle that integrated a sweeping metal detector and showed me a picture of the modified bike. He also said that the morning he met the Detectorist/inventor that the gentleman had found 2 gold rings that morning! While riding on the beach is generally illegal, in the Daytona area even cars are legal to ride on the beach and many of the beaches in the area/east coast of Florida allow beach bicycles. Viola, a bike based metal detector.
A Robo-detector surely isn't far off. Imagine something like an iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner but one that travels on the hard wet sand or even across a parking lot or play field and integrates a metal detector. It could even plant a flag where targets are located.
If you made it this far, thanks for listening. I think metal detecting is not only physically challenging, if done right, but intellectually stimulating if you let your mind run with it...you're slowly walking down the beach watching your robo- metal detector in front of you plant flags at good target locations while telling you in your native language what the target was just flagged via wireless headphones. One after another, you retrieve the good targets with your sand scoop. Metal detecting is Gooood.
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