Inertially Guided Micro-machined Navigating Device with Application to Submunitions

Development of a Miniature Inertial Measurement Unit (MIMU) using automotive micro-machined accelerometers and gyroscopes. The MIMU will include a Kal n filter for calibration and alignment. Improving the performance of the automotive class of inertial sensors through optimal filtering is crucial to their use for guidance applications. The MIMU uses three accelerometers and three gyros. The MIMU has analog to digital interfaces between the instruments and a microprocessor for performing the navigation and guidance functions. The manufacturer is in the final stages of development of a micro-machined gyro for automobiles. The accelerometer currently sells for $10.00 and the gyro has a target price of $30.00. The projected price for the complete MIMU is $500. During pre-release of the submunition, a Kalman filter used to compare MIMU performance with the launch vehicle's GPS/INS should further reduce MIMU errors to 1 to 10 deg/hr. Phase I of the SBIR will concentrate on: evaluation of the instruments to determine their error terms; design of the Kalman filter that will improve performance and provide transfer alignment for the guided submuitions application; simulation of the transfer alignment and navigation tasks for the submuuition; development of the MIMU specification and conceptual system, electrical and mechanical design of the brassboard and production MIMUs. Phase II is the demonstration of a brassboard MIMU.