Functional design and performance evaluation of a metal handheld detector for land mines detection

This study is a requirement for new detectors that must be capable of effectively detecting land mines of low or non-metal content in the operational area employed within South Africa, for the replacement of the current Midas mine detector. The current system capabilities are no longer feasible to detect the latest mines since warfare has changed and with relatively no logistical support (spares, manuals, qualified personnel and workshop). The research focused more on the improvement in the systems' capabilities of the detector in order to effectively detect the various types of mines found in the target area which were buried at the maximum operational depth, in all soil conditions with no loss of sensitivity and accuracy. The detector is also expected to accurately locate the position of a mine buried under the ground. The functional design and specification led to the acquisition of a low power and highly portable mine detector capable of delivering 24 hours continuous throughput before recharge. The performances of these upgrades were compared with the performance of the original Midas detector as well as the Guartel MD8 detector currently used by The South African Army Engineer Council (SAEC). The findings show significant improvement in the use of the new detectors. This suggests that the Midas handheld detector can be upgraded to meet the operational requirements regarding the detection of mines with a minimum metal content.