Small, Low-Power, Low-Cost IMU for Personal Navigation and Stabilization Systems

The first decade of the 21(st) century has been labeled by some as the "Sensor Decade." With a dramatic increase in sensor R&D and application over the past 15 years, sensors are certainly poised on the brink of a revolution similar to that experienced in microcomputers in the 1980s. Tremendous advances have been made in sensor technology and many more are on the horizon. Sensor designers are working hard to minimize the size of devices without sacrificing their performance characteristics. Efforts to minimize linear acceleration systems and gyros for inertial navigation systems are mostly concentrated around MEMS technology. This technology satisfies some of the requirements for inertial navigation systems. However, the cumulative errors of MEMS-based devices are still too high for most navigation applications. The desired parameters for INS are at least an order of magnitude better than current devices based on MEMS technology. This article reports on the development of linear and angular accelerometers based on the proprietary molecular-electronic technology. The technology utilizes liquid not only as an inertial mass but also as one of the main elements in the conversion of mechanical motion into electric current. The amplification process is similar to that in a vacuum triode. Therefore, it is possible to achieve signal amplification close to 10(8). As a result, we have been able to develop a product line of inertial sensors demonstrating wide frequency and dynamic range and sensitivity that is two orders of magnitude better than MEMS devices of the same size.