PULSE — Passive Universal Locator using Quantum Sensing Equipment: A Field-Deployable Aerial Protocol for Passive Human Detection in Search and Rescue and Missing Persons Investigation Scenarios

We describe a drone-deployed quantum sensing protocol for passive, noncooperative detection of the electromagnetic signature of the living human body through non-ferromagnetic obstructions including concrete, timber, snow, and earth. The instrument employs nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centre diamond magnetometry with paired ferrite flux concentrators to achieve femtotesla-range sensitivity sufficient to detect the cardiac biomagnetic field (~50–100 pT at body surface) at operationally useful distances. Three-axis vector field output enables triangulation of subject position to +/−20 cm target accuracy without GPS or external reference. The sensor is housed in a compact flight pod mounted on a Freefly Alta X heavy-lift drone.
Two operating modes are described. Mode 1 (Active SAR) detects the active cardiac biomagnetic field of living subjects, authorized by SAR incident command — grounded in established NV diamond magnetometry physics. Mode 2 (Residual/Forensic) detects proposed persistent residual field signatures in building materials for missing persons scene reconstruction — a novel hypothesis by the PI, governed by an invitation-only protocol requiring formal written invitation plus warrant or judicial oversight.
Applications include avalanche burial rescue, urban search and rescue (USAR), and RCMP missing persons investigation including MMIWG cold case work. A complete falsification matrix with pre-registered predictions is included. Field validation has not yet been conducted. Patent pending CIPO 3,311,632. CC BY 4.0.