LOW COST ANGULAR RATE SENSOR

APPLIED TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATES, INC., (ATA) DESIGNED, FABRICATED, AND PERFORMED AN INITIAL TEST OF A DEVICE WHICH REPRESENTS A NEW CONCEPT FOR AN INERTIAL, ANGULAR RATE SENSOR. THE SENSOR UTILIZES A MERCURY PROOF MASS WHOSE ANGULAR RATE IS DETERMINED FROM THE VOLTAGE GENERATED AS THE MERCURY MOVES THROUGH A MAGNETIC FIELD. THE DEVICE HAS NO PRECISION PARTS NOR MOVING PARTS EXCEPT LIQUID MERCURY. THIS SENSOR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FULFILL THE ARMY'S NEED FOR A RUGGED, LOW-COST COMPONENT IN A BATTLEFIELD NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THIS PHASE I SBIR PROGRAM WILL MEASURE THE IMPORTANT PARAMETERS WHICH CHARACTERIZE THE PERFORMANCE OF A NAVIGATION GRADE ANGULAR SENSOR, INCLUDING SCALE FACTOR, LINEARITY, NOISE, RESOLUTION, DRIFT RATE, AND TEMPERATURE SENSITIVITY. BASED ON THE PHASE I TEST RESULTS, A SENSOR OPTIMIZED FOR THE ARMY'S REQUIREMENTS WILL BE DESIGNED FOR FABRICATION AND TESTING IN PHASE II. THE UNIT COST FOR PRODUCTION IN PHASE III WILL BE ESTIMATED. THE PERFORMANCE AND COST OF THE SENSOR WILL BE COMPARED WITH OTHER CANDIDATES SUCH AS THE HUMPHREY AND HONDA SENSORS. THIS PROGRAM WILL CAPITALIZE ON ATA STAFF'S KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE GAINED IN CARRYING AN ANGULAR VIBRATION SENSOR OF SIMILAR CONSTRUCTION FROM CONCEPT TO COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION.