A cooperative source electromagnetic induction (EMI) device includes: a transmitter configured to generate a time-varying primary magnetic field in the vicinity of a target object, which magnetic field inductively couples with the target object to generate a target object secondary magnetic field; and a cooperative source to which the primary magnetic field is also inductively coupled, generating one or more respective cooperative source secondary magnetic fields. The target object and the cooperative source are inductively coupled via the target object secondary magnetic field and the cooperative source secondary magnetic field. The device includes a receiver configured to measure a composite inductive response, which comprises the inductive coupling of the target object and the cooperative source. A data processor executes statistical classifier software to interpret a signature of the target object based upon the measured composite inductive response and identify the target object from the interpreted signature.