In addition to recreational use, metal detectors serve a wide range of utilitarian functions. Mounted detectors usually use some variation of PI technology, while many of the basic handheld scanners are BFO-based.
Photo courtesy Garrett ElectronicsA Garrett walk-through metal detector
Some nonrecreational applications for metal detectors are:
Airport security - screen people before allowing access to the boarding area and the plane (see How Airport Security Works)
Building security - screen people entering a particular building, such as a school, office or prison
Event security - screen people entering a sporting event, concert or other large gathering of people
Item recovery - help someone search for a lost item, such as a piece of jewelry
Archaeological exploration - find metallic items of historical significance
Geological research - detect the metallic composition of soil or rock formations
Photo courtesy Garrett ElectronicsA Garrett Super Scanner handheld metal detector
Manufacturers of metal detectors are constantly tuning the process to make their products more accurate, more sensitive and more versatile.
