Attaching metal detector to drone

[Airmetal]

Has anyone attempted to attach a metal detector to a drone? I have a DJI mavic pro. Based on what I've read, it could lift and fly with a couple of pounds. Attaching a metal detector and flying low to the ground means it could cover a lot of area. I was thinking it could be rigged up where the camera is pointed to the detector and you set the flight path and then when the detector goes off you stop it and Mark where to dig. I live in Southern California and there is a lot of flat desert with not many obstacles. With all of the Lost Treasure stories, if you could cover a lot of ground with a drone...

 

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[Ogre1190]

No drone is gonna cheat ME outta sweat n mosquitos n sunburn n snakes n chiggers n fire ants n poison ivy n thistles n...
Oh...wait!

 

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[Charlie P. (NY)]

If you can fly an inch or less over the ground - go for it. But it seems pretty impractical to me.

On a related note - I tried detecting at a R/C field I used to belong to and found an engine 4" down. Must have been a spectacular crash!

 

[Greybear]

I don’t think the detector idea is practical but the use of Lidar if it could be made in a package light enough is very interesting. With a flight time of around 10 minutes all you would have to do is pop the drone up get a Lidar image of an area and then use it to focus your Detecting to specific areas of interest.

 

[1637]

i think lidar is really cool,i wonder how lite and cheap it going to get?i think its going to be used alot in the future.what size drone would you need for the lidar available today?cost for both? good luck brad

I don’t think the detector idea is practical but the use of Lidar if it could be made in a package light enough is very interesting. With a flight time of around 10 minutes all you would have to do is pop the drone up get a Lidar image of an area and then use it to focus your Detecting to specific areas of interest.

 

[Rawhide]

If you get a drone with Thermal Imaging or Lidar you will be able to find more places to search. Metal detectors are not made for anything over 2 feet with any accuracy, dont need a drone for that.

 

[RTR]

LiDAR weight ? So far the smallest one (made for drones) is 3.5 pounds.

 

[Greybear]

i think lidar is really cool,i wonder how lite and cheap it going to get?i think its going to be used alot in the future.what size drone would you need for the lidar available today?cost for both? good luck brad

I don’t think it is yet small enough or cheap enough to be affordable for the masses. Most Lidar that I’ve seen is done from an airplane or helicopter. It needs to be multiple passes grinding an area to get the Lidar image. There is probably some videos on YouTube about Lidar. I plan on checking it out when I have the time. The UK has a public website where it has Lidar maps that the government has taken. They now cover most of the country. It’s really cool stuff to check out. Roads, building imprints and old walls show up where there are nothing but grazing fields today. We used some of the maps when I went to the UK on a metal Detecting trip. Very helpful!

 

[Stringtyer]

OK, I can't stand it any more ... and my apologies, in advance, for any hurt feelings. This discussion of putting a metal detector on a drone sounds like one of the As-Seen-on-TV commercials ...

Are you tired of dragging around that heavy metal detector? Can't cover enough ground fast enough? Are your friends getting more silver and gold than you ever hope to find swinging a hand held unit? You need Detecto-Drone, the automatic treasure finding miracle. You just sit in the air conditioned comfort of your truck or SUV ... or even your Subaru while the Detecto-Drone does all the work.

But wait, if you order now, we'll throw in the Point-O-Matic and auto-digger. Automatically finds, pinpoints, and digs treasure while you sit comfortably with a cold brew in hand.

Again ... sorry, but it just got away from me. I apologize. Seriously.

 

[Tommybuckets]

A drone would be neat, but a flying drone is rather impractical. How about just a four wheeled drone with a CTX 3030 with GPS integrated into a laptop or tablet? This has been a topic of discussion with a friend who worked on the Mars rover, military (flying drones) etc. I'd call it the detector buddy. You turn it loose and have it run a grid on a farm field or beach while you wander around nearby detecting willy nilly. Give it an hour or two to just run the grid and record each signal. It would have to be able to do multiple passes or "swings" on each signal which would be the challenge in programming. The cherry pii 3 has some open source code that could be useful. Then you could pull up the map on the onboard laptop or tablet and see where potentially desirable targets and can slaw piles are. The multiple scans could be used to narrow down if it was a solid repeatable hit or the spread of numbers if it was an "iffy signal" . Then with a couple algorithms you could have it weed out the best and worst signals and even tell it if a signal was good or bad after you dig it and have it " learn" with you. Heck why not put ground penetrating radar on it while we are fantasizing? I bet we could make a nice profit at around $8000-$10,000 each. Why don't we do an underwater one too? Oh because it would get hung up... Hmm. Maybe we should just relax and enjoy swinging the detector,... Lemme know if anyone wants to build a prototype

 

[3cylbill]

Has anyone attempted to attach a metal detector to a drone? I have a DJI mavic pro. Based on what I've read, it could lift and fly with a couple of pounds. Attaching a metal detector and flying low to the ground means it could cover a lot of area. I was thinking it could be rigged up where the camera is pointed to the detector and you set the flight path and then when the detector goes off you stop it and Mark where to dig. I live in Southern California and there is a lot of flat desert with not many obstacles. With all of the Lost Treasure stories, if you could cover a lot of ground with a drone...

Sound like a plan.... if your Wylie coyote

 

[bc5391]

it would be quite the challenge

, especially trying to swing and avoid obstacles.

 

[pickaway]

No, but I'd like to use one to look for arrowheads in fields, would be great if it worked...

 

[bc5391]

No, but I'd like to use one to look for arrowheads in fields, would be great if it worked...

yes, close to the ground, it would save lots of time. Sit enjoy a beer, then walk to the spot after the find.Mine has a range of about 4km which is close to 2 miles( 1m = 2.2km) saves walking in circles, GPS and will return to home, 25-30 min flight time per battery

 

[pepperj]

yes, close to the ground, it would save lots of time. Sit enjoy a beer, then walk to the spot after the find.Mine has a range of about 4km which is close to 2 miles( 1m = 2.2km) saves walking in circles, GPS and will return to home, 25-30 min flight time per battery

How clear can you see small objects at say 20 ft?
Trying to get a feel for the clarity/optics of the camera, so in your photo how high off the ground are you flying?
4km=2.485 miles.

 

[bc5391]

How clear can you see small objects at say 20 ft?
Trying to get a feel for the clarity/optics of the camera, so in your photo how high off the ground are you flying?
4km=2.485 miles.

in that photo, I am about 40-50 feet off the ground, it would depend on how large the object was, and how they would blend in. To see say a dime on the surface, you would have to fly slow and about 5 feet. this drone has a HD camera, but trees and bushes are a problem if you hit one, I look for foundations, mineral deposits and such.

 

[pepperj]

in that photo, I am about 40-50 feet off the ground, it would depend on how large the object was, and how they would blend in. To see say a dime on the surface, you would have to fly slow and about 5 feet. this drone has a HD camera, but trees and bushes are a problem if you hit one, I look for foundations, mineral deposits and such.

So I guess it's fair to say this would only work in an open farm field or sandy desert area that has no underbrush.
To see anything small the drone has to go slow, and if the run time is 30 minutes it also has to return to base.

Just another question how fast can it fly, and does that equate battery life? Meaning the faster one flies the less battery life.

 

[bc5391]

So I guess it's fair to say this would only work in an open farm field or sandy desert area that has no underbrush.
To see anything small the drone has to go slow, and if the run time is 30 minutes it also has to return to base.

Just another question how fast can it fly, and does that equate battery life? Meaning the faster one flies the less battery life.

correct, just as you were walking, it would have to be visible. Fast, faster than I can run, It might even be faster than Usain Bolt

 

[pepperj]

correct, just as you were walking, it would have to be visible. Fast, faster than I can run, It might even be faster than Usain Bolt

I have always thought about the use of one of these for cellar hole locating.
Though I do know that folks just don't like them flying around, and especially over their properties.

 

[UnderMiner]

Just capture dozens of male bowerbirds, strap GPS trackers to them, and release them into the area you want to find treasure. At the end of the year go to where their GPS locations indicate and you will find their nests. Since male bowerbirds instinctively collect and hoard treasure their nests will be full to the brim with interesting artifacts. You can then trade common everyday junk for their valuable finds, since they think just as highly of a plastic bottle cap as they do a diamond ring or gold nugget.

 

[bc5391]

Just capture dozens of male bowerbirds, strap GPS trackers to them, and release them into the area you want to find treasure. At the end of the year go to where their GPS locations indicate and you will find their nests. Since male bowerbirds instinctively collect and hoard treasure their nests will be full to the brim with interesting artifacts. You can then trade common everyday junk for their valuable finds, since they think just as highly of a plastic bottle cap as they do a diamond ring or gold nugget.
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where do I get one of those critters, tag him with a GPS tracker and you are in business.