ESTCP EW25-8806 Dartmouth ULEMA and LCS EMI for lead and copper pipes¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Record ID | EVID-0003 |
| Type | evidence |
| Title | ESTCP EW25-8806 Dartmouth ULEMA and LCS EMI for lead and copper pipes |
| Status | reviewed |
| Confidence | high |
| Updated | 2026-09-09 |
| Source URL | https://serdp-estcp.mil/projects/details/97111662-532d-40d5-a175-010ba3d0df25/demonstrating-the-application-of-advanced-lightweight-emi-sensors-for-detecting-locating-and-identifying-lead-and-copper-pipes-in-real-field-conditions |
| Topics | electromagnetic, pipe_materials, uav_operations, underground_utility_detection |
| Archived source | retained internally |
Citation¶
ESTCP. Demonstrating the Application of Advanced, Lightweight EMI Sensors for Detecting, Locating, and Identifying Lead and Copper Pipes in Real Field Conditions. Project EW25-8806. Principal Investigator: Fridon Shubitidze, Ph.D., Dartmouth College. https://serdp-estcp.mil/projects/details/97111662-532d-40d5-a175-010ba3d0df25. Accessed 2026-09-09.
Source¶
ESTCP project page. Local capture: Archived source: retained internally
PI phone listed on the page: (603) 646-3671. Faculty page: https://engineering.dartmouth.edu/community/faculty/fridon-shubitidze
Why This Source Matters¶
This is the ESTCP project that most clearly overlaps the reviewer comment. It is an EMI material-identification effort with Phase 1 at an EPA test bed and later DoD installation testing. The sensors are also described as mountable on aerial platforms.
Source-Faithful Summary¶
The project aims to use advanced lightweight electromagnetic systems and signal processing to identify and map water pipe networks and material composition at DoD installations, with emphasis on distinguishing copper and lead. Two EMI systems will be tested: Ultra-Light Weight ElectroMagnetic Array (ULEMA) and Linear Current Sensing (LCS). Both use multi-transmitter and tri-axial receiver loops and were developed over about thirty years with SERDP/ESTCP, ONR, and U.S. Army investment. ULEMA is a single-pass ultra-light low-frequency EMI system that can be handheld or mounted on unmanned underwater, ground, and aerial platforms, with inversion/classification software to map anomalies and classify targets by size and material composition. LCS is lightweight and deployable in handheld, unmanned ground, and aerial modes to detect, map, and locate elongated subsurface targets. Phase 1 is testing at an EPA test-bed site with a typical water distribution system and underground utilities. Phase 2 is field testing at a DoD installation. Anticipated completion is 2028.
Relevant Facts¶
- Project identifier: EW25-8806.
- Performing organization: Dartmouth College.
- PI: Fridon Shubitidze, Ph.D.
- Sensor class: EMI.
- Named systems: ULEMA (material classification by size and composition; lead vs copper is the stated design goal); LCS (detect and locate elongated targets, including water service lines, wires, and fiber optic cables in Phase 2).
- Platform language on the page: ULEMA and LCS can be mounted on unmanned aerial platforms. This is a stated capability of the systems, not a reported Edison flight demonstration.
- Phase 1 location: "an Environmental Protection Agency testbed site." The ESTCP page does not name Edison in the extracted project text.
- Phase 2 location: a DoD installation.
- Anticipated completion: 2028.
Quantitative Data¶
| Variable | Value | Units | Conditions | Source Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anticipated completion | 2028 | year | project page | Benefits |
No measured detection rates, localization errors, altitudes, or survey speeds are reported on the project page.
Relevant Figures / Tables¶
None extracted from the public project narrative.
What This Source Supports¶
- ESTCP is funding terrestrial (and potentially later multi-platform) EMI work specifically for lead/copper pipe location and identification.
- An EPA test bed is the planned Phase 1 site.
- ULEMA's stated purpose includes material classification; LCS's stated Phase 2 purpose includes location of elongated infrastructure, not necessarily material ID.
- Aerial mounting is claimed as a system capability, not as a completed Edison UAV demonstration.
What This Source Does NOT Establish¶
- No public Edison performance results.
- The ESTCP page does not itself name Edison, NJ.
- No proof that ULEMA currently distinguishes lead, copper, and galvanized under buried conditions.
- No UAV flight-test data, vibration data, or standoff curves.
- No GPR component.
- Design goals are not measured results.
Conflicting / Qualifying Evidence¶
EVID-0004 (Dartmouth institutional news) names the EPA Edison, NJ test bed as the Phase 1 site and reports a March week-long ULEMA deployment. Treat that as secondary confirmation of location and activity, not as performance data. PI quotes about being the only technology that can identify lead, copper, and galvanized without excavation are not independent results.
Potential Proposal Use¶
- Named ESTCP terrestrial EMI baseline HM should not ignore.
- Possible Task 1 implication: do not treat EMI material classification as an empty field; an ESTCP EMI project is already in Phase 1.
- Possible Task 2/3 implication: if ULEMA/LCS aerial mounting is only a platform claim, UAV standoff and motion remain unproven in public sources.
- Contact: Fridon Shubitidze, Dartmouth.
Linked Findings¶
- FINDING-0001
Linked Questions¶
- Q04
- Q03
- Q01