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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[Rookster]

Sounds a little out there plus based of a friend of mine that has a pretty nice DJI( I think that's the name), battery life would be drastically altered. But go for it.

 

[hunter_46356]

So how would one know when a target is found at distances beyond blue tooth capabilities and how would you mark the target for further examination. You'd be chasing targets while the drone is finding more but without the ability to mark and examine targets as fast as the drone could maybe find them......I don't know sounds like a few bugs to work out on this one. But hey you know what they say " Necessity is the Mother of Invention"

 

[TommyB]

You might also run into electrical interference issues. Some guys have issues around powerlines. The motors on the drones may cause issues. You may want to test for that as well.

 

[GA_Boy]

You and I obviously don't metal detect for the same reason.
Marvin

 

[Airmetal]

Hunter46356 You can easily pinpoint Mark's on gps map while drone is flying. Metal detector goes off, you pinpoint on the map and keep going. Then later search the areas that are pinpointed on your map

 

[Kray Gelder]

I think you should give this more thought. But hey! Check out the Dowsing Forum. Those guys don't need no stinking drones. All they need is a photo and a couple of L-rods.

 

[Megalodon]

I think a drone would be more useful in locating cellar holes, ruins, or features to determine if greater effort hiking, climbing, stream fording, etc. is needed to reach the sites with metal detector in hand.

 

[Stringtyer]

I think a drone would be more useful in locating cellar holes, ruins, or features to determine if greater effort hiking, climbing, stream fording, etc. is needed to reach the sites with metal detector in hand.

Agreed with the idea of using a drone for scouting areas. I can see that being useful to locate interesting places without having to hike all over the known universe. My extended family has a large farm in eastern North Carolina with the potential for some good sites to dig. It would be handy to do a fly-over and mark likely spots with GPS points.

I wish I could justify buying one but there are limits to my expendable income.

 

[smokeythecat]

I think the only detector out there that would fit the bill is the xp Deus at 1.9 pounds. Everything else is bigger. Understanding where the target is when the machine goes off would be a challenge, as well as not crashing it into the ground!

 

[hunter_46356]

Hunter46356 You can easily pinpoint Mark's on gps map while drone is flying. Metal detector goes off, you pinpoint on the map and keep going. Then later search the areas that are pinpointed on your map

Not saying this Drone thing is a bust just yet.... but seriously....A drone flies over a target and sends a signal to the operator/ drone saves a GPS coordinate. Drone lands.... operator somehow receives target coordinates and walks to the target location ( needing a GPS to find target) and digs. If your going to walk to the target locations anyway what advantage is there in having the drone find a possible target. On top of that a target that has been swept over only one time.... unless you program the drone to know when the detector senses a target and sweeps it several times ( like you would do yourself before deciding to dig or not). Like I originally said if this is to come to reality....there's more than a few bugs to be worked out. I'm kinda old school.... been round for 63 years and the younger generations seems to be more interested in letting a machine do what people use too. Even if it means it may actually take longer but expend less energy. Part of what I enjoy in metal detecting is actually getting out and stretching the old muscles not really interested in sitting in the truck watching a laptop/ ipad for coordinates to eventually walk to and more than likely sweep again. Possibly needing a second detector (or removing the one attached to the drone) to decide if I really want to dig the target. Seems......I don't know kinda pretty far fetched....but hey there are tech-no people out there making leaps and bounds and probably a lot more money than I make a year....So go for it and prove me wrong. I'll be waiting patiently for the results.

 

[RTR]

I don't think a M.D.on a drone is the answer.But a LiDAR would help (in certain situations and locations)

 

[Keppy]

Sounds like to much work for me to do. I will just walk and swing.

 

[RTR]

Mount a LiDAR on Something like this 80 inch 8 pound Electric powered Cub and cover an area (in a 1/2 hr. flight),what would take Days to walk

 

[GopherDaGold]

No. Just no.

 

[BLK HOLE]

I can see the utility of using a drone for scouting but to try to tie to MD seems a bit of stretch!

 

[against the wind]

Well, pictures are being taken from space by cameras on satellites. The Geological Xrays and colors are being studied for possible future mining of precious metals. The pictures are analyzed for common signatures that certain ores have.
There are probably thousands of satellite scans that have taken so many pictures, you could spend a lifetime trying to decide which ones to physically investigate. Go big or go home. #rentasatellite

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Your going to have EMI from the Drone engine and remember metal above detector coil sets off detector too, not just below.

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

My son just got a Mav Pro. An incredibly impressive machine. He can fly all over our favorite local park 500 acres with pin point accuracy and incredible video footage. I’m looking forward to borrowing it to scout some other huge parks in the fall/winter when the foliage is down.

 

[johnwon2]

I think using it to scout would be a great idea, but when I swing, I have my detector about touching the ground. I don't have a DJI, but I know that my drones won't hover without a little fluctuation and I'd be afraid that I'd either be too high or bump the ground and crash the drone trying to keep the coil only 1" off the ground. If it were me, I'd look at using something with wheels like a R/C truck if was going to automate my detecting, maybe something with a custom wide wheelbase and a gantry arm so that I could swing the arm side to side 40" or so. I detect for a completely different reason though; I like to put on my headphones and relax as a form of unwinding from work and the kids and automating that would ruin my hunt.