Systematic Test and Evaluation of Metal Detectors: the EC's STEMD Project

There is an international need for people within the humanitarian demining community (HDC) to be informed about appropriate metal detectors for the clearance process. Those involved in information exchange within the HDC will know that metal detector trials are performed regularly. User requirements and test results can easily be published because a network exists within the HDC. The Journal of Mine Action itself is part of this network and readers will probably also be familiar with the websites and publications of the International Test and Evaluation Program for Humanitarian Demining (ITEP) and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD). The GICHD periodically publishes a metal detector catalogue containing manufacturers' specifications and references to test reports. Since the middle of the 1990s, increased efforts have been made to improve testing and develop reliable and systematic methods. The European Commission's (EC's) project, Systematic Test and Evaluation of Metal Detectors (STEMD), is a new step in this development.JRC.G.6-Sensors, radar technologies and cybersecurit