Monday, April 12, 2010
IFOS announces award of Phase I SBIR contract for Low Cost Inertial Rate Sensors with Long Term Stability

In Phase I, IFOS proposes to develop an innovative fiber-optic gyro (FOG) with excellent long-term stability features. The proposed device will be designed to also counteract vibration environments typically encountered in inertial navigation platforms, which could have frequency contents as high as 1 kilohertz. Phase I proposes to demonstrate a proof-of-concept FOG prototype with packaging designed to minimize size and weight. Preliminary experiments will be undertaken to establish feasibility of achieving the requisite stability and attitude accuracy over a period of several hours. IFOS has plans to incorporate the proposed FOG into a demonstration IMUs that can provide high-resolution stabilization, with better than 1-deg attitude accuracy over the requisite temperature range. This effort is expected to culminate in Phase II designs and test protocols for a FOG-based IMU functioning as a complete navigation grade unit. The IFOS work can provide long term stability to overcome attitude limitations in existing inertial navigators.

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