History of the Metal Detector
Alexander Graham Bell invented the first crude metal detector in 1881
By Mary Bellis, About.com Guide
See More About:metal detectoralexander graham bellforensicIn 1925, Gerhard Fischar invented a portable metal detector.
Inventors
In 1881, Alexander Graham Bell invented the first metal detector. As President James Garfield lay dying of an assassin's bullet, Alexander Graham Bell hurriedly invented a crude metal detector in an unsuccessful attempt to locate the fatal slug. Bell's metal detector was an electromagnetic device he called the induction balance
Gerhard Fischar - Portable Metal Detector
In 1925, Gerhard Fischar invented a portable metal detector. Fischar's model was first sold commercially in 1931 and Gerhard Fischar was behind the first large-scale production of metal detectors.
According to the experts at A&S Company: "In the late 1920's, Dr. Gerhard Fisher, the founder of Fisher Research Laboratory was commissioned as a research engineer with the Federal Telegraph Co. and Western Air Express to develop airborne direction finding equipment. He was awarded some of the first patents issued in the field of airborne direction finding by means of radio. In the course of his work, he encountered some strange errors and once he solved these problems, he had the foresight to apply the solution to a completely unrelated field, that of metal and mineral detection.
Further Developments
The modern metal detector is not Fisher's version. Over the years, people have been developing the technology, as metal detectors have been used for treasure hunting and other various purposes. During World War II, there came a need for land mine detectors. In turn, the government instructed manufacturers to conduct more research for this technology to be used effectively. During the war, a large number of these units were bought.
When the war finally came to an end, the surplus manufactured was sold to the public and was used to hunt for buried gold and silver.
After the War
During the 1980s, the metal detector's accuracy was developed along with its ability to identify types of metals detected by its transmitting field. As time went by, the size of the metal detector shrunk considerably, making them even more user-friendly and portable.
Modern metal detectors now have the ability to pinpoint their targets, measure the depth of the metal's location, and even inform the user on the nature of the metal. Further developments have been made to make the technology more sophisticated, thus increasing its possibilities of application.
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In 1925, Gerhard Fischar invented a portable metal detector.
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