A Development of Fluxgate Sensor based Drone Magnetic Exploration System
In this study, we have developed a drone magnetic exploration system (proto type) using a fluxgate magnetic sensor. Hardware of the system consists of a fluxgate magnetometer, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) a GPS, and a communication module. And we have developed monitoring software, which enables it to transmit the measured data to the ground control system (GCS) in real time. The measured magnetic data are finally saved as 1 Hz data after passing through a notch filter and a band pass filter. For verification of this system, a preliminary test was conducted to check the magnetic responses of a magnetic object first, then the field test was carried out in two iron mines. We tested the developed system on the field test in Pocheon, Gyeonggi and Jeongseon, Gangwon. The magnetic data from the developed drone system was very similar to those from unmanned airship system developed by Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) As a result, preliminary experiment and field test have demonstrated that this system is applicable for outdoor aeromagnetic exploration. It requires more studies to improve filter function and instrument performance to minimize noise in the future.