Micro-Technology for Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (Micro PN&T)
Abstract
The Micro-Technology for Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (Micro-PNT) program developed low-Cost, Size, Weight, and Power (CSWaP) inertial sensors and timing sources for navigation in GPS degraded environments, primarily focusing on the development of miniature solid state and atomic gyroscopes and clocks. Both classes of sensors are currently unsuitable for small platform or dismount soldier applications. Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) sensors have limited performance but excellent CSWaP, while atomic sensors are capable of excellent performance but are limited to laboratory experiments due to complexity and high CSWaP. Micro-PNT advanced both technology approaches by improving the performance of MEMS inertial sensors and by miniaturizing atomic devices. Ultimately, low-CSWaP inertial sensors and clocks will enable ubiquitous guidance and navigation on all platforms, including guided munitions, unmanned aerial vehicles (micro-UAVs), and mounted and dismounted soldiers. The successful realization of Micro-PNT depends on development of new microfabrication processes and novel material systems for fundamentally different sensing modalities, as well as understanding the error sources at the microscale and the scaling relationships for size reduction of sensors based on atomic physics techniques. The Micro-PNT program included research into novel techniques for fabrication and integration of three-dimensional MEMS devices as well as theoretical and experimental studies of new architectures and geometries for MEMS inertial sensing. Atomic physics research included the development of new architectures for atomic inertial sensing and investigation of miniature enabling technologies, whose conventional counterparts are currently large, power hungry, and temperature sensitive, limiting high performance sensors to laboratory demonstrations. Advanced research for the program is budgeted in PE 0603739E, Project MT-12.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2017
- Source ID
- 4dd69a3e5dc1163f1b6d418b709395f3
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- Root: ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY