The GEON E61: An Answer to a Complex Challenge
From its inception, ArroTech, the developer of the GEON E61 drone/metal-detecting system, has been governed by an entrepreneurial spirit and a genuine desire to successfully address a stubborn, expanding and harrowing problem — the presence, throughout much of the world, of lethal landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Inherent in that challenge are needs to:
- Develop a user-friendly, reliable system capable of pinpointing the locations of mines and UXO that may contain only small amounts of metal
- Provide for the safety of demining personnel.
- Given the vast extent of the landmine/UXO problem, create a system with an operating speed much greater than traditional demining approaches without compromising accuracy or user safety.
In short, a tall order.
Years in its development, the GEON E61 answers those needs. The fully autonomous system provides for ease of operation and eliminates the need for deminers to enter areas contaminated with mines/UXO. Flying close to the ground at speeds of up to 4 meters per second, the drone follows undulating terrain and avoids obstacles. With its pulse induction technology, the GEON E61 detects metal objects to a depth of 3 meters.
Those characteristics, capabilities and more wowed attendees from around the world at the Mine Action Symposium, held April 1-3, 2025, in Croatia, in much the same way that the GEON E61 had previously impressed various businesses, organizations, government agencies and conference audiences.
As the GEON E61 moves from development to deployment in the field, the ArroTech team, led by co-founder and chief technical officer Tobias Leininger, looks forward to making a real difference in efforts to neutralize the threat to safety posed by deadly, unattended weapons of war.
“This year, XPONENTIAL is all about designing a shared plan for the future of autonomy,” said Brian Wynne, President and CEO of AUVSI. “There’s no better place to announce the 2023 XCELLENCE award finalists. Together, they are redefining what’s possible with uncrewed and robotic technology.”
“ArroTech’s mission is to develop innovative technologies to help rid the world of dangerous explosive remnants of war (ERW), which include unexploded ordnance (UXO) and abandoned explosive ordnance (AXO). We are very honored to win the AUVSI XCELLENCE Humanitarian Award.” said Steve Millaway, CEO of ArroTech.
Featuring a proven onboard military-grade metal detector and highly advanced fully autonomous software, ArroTech’s GEON E61 is the world’s first fully autonomous drone optimized for military, humanitarian, and commercial defining organizations. Currently, these organizations detect ERW and metallic landmines using metal detectors that are handheld and rolling cart-based. Although effective, this method is dangerous, time-consuming, and extremely expensive.
Using the GEON E61, the GPS coordinates of metallic objects can be more safely provided to explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) personnel in a fraction of the time and cost. Flight plans are easily configured in seconds with user-friendly smartphone and tablet apps, and onboard sensors allow the drone to precisely follow real world terrains and avoid obstacles.
