Orthogonal Matching Pursuit for ferromagnetic target localization and identification

The use of magnetic sensors in wireless sensor networks is a topic that has gained limited attention in comparison to that of other sensors. Research has generally focused on the detection of large ferromagnetic targets (e.g., cars and airplanes). Moreover, the changes in the magnetic field intensity measured by the sensor have been used to obtain simple information, such as target direction or whether or not the target has passed a certain point. This work aims at understanding the sensing limitations of magnetic sensors by considering small-scale targets moving within a 30 cm radius. Target detection, tracking and identification were studied using the Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP) algorithm. This information can then be used to design energy-efficient, intelligent magnetic sensor networks.