LOW COST MINIATURE G-HARDENED QUARTZ INERTIAL NAVIGATION SENSOR Ins

Combining the stability of quartz and the process micromachining, it may be possible to develop cost effective inertial navigation sensors (INS). Linear position can be determined from passive or active vibrating beam type accelerometers while rotation can be determined from resonating tuning fork type gyros. Technical problems relating to noise sources, instabilities and feasibility are to be investigated. Unique mechanical configurations, crystal orientations and micro-electronic designs will be conceived, modeled and tested when possible. The feasibility of this technology for the INS will be assessed in Phase I and a recommendation provided for research and development in Phase II. Based on a large commercial potential in automobile navigation, aerospace navigation and six degree-of-freedom sensing of structural vibration; it is possible that the INS may be produced through micromachining batch processing methods at a significant cost saving to current manufacturing methods.