GPS World

Tag: gyroscope

  • ANELLO’s silicon photonics optical gyroscope is enabling GPS-free navigation

    ANELLO’s silicon photonics optical gyroscope is enabling GPS-free navigation

    For decades, GPS has been the cornerstone of modern navigation, guiding aircraft, vehicles, troops and commercial systems across the globe. As digital warfare intensifies, satellite signals are increasingly unreliable. From the battlefield to underground tunnels, to dense forests, and urban canyons, global positioning signals are being jammed, spoofed, or simply blocked by the environment. In these GPS-denied zones, the risks to navigation, targeting and mission success grow exponentially.

    Without reliable positioning, systems lose their sense of location, direction and speed — making it impossible to navigate to their destination. Yet in modern warfare, autonomous systems and industrial automation depend on precise and continuous navigation. ANELLO Photonics is tackling this gap head-on with a breakthrough silicon photonics-based optical gyroscope (SiPhOG) technology — one that seeks to reshape how machines, soldiers and vehicles navigate across land, air and sea when satellites fall silent.

    A Battlefield Blind Spot

    In GPS-contested environments such as urban warzones, subterranean tunnels, dense forests or near hostile jamming equipment, traditional navigation solutions fail. Spoofing attacks can instantaneously displace autonomous vehicles by kilometers. Jamming can cripple UAVs mid-flight, causing them to crash. Even in civilian settings — especially in and around conflict zones — GPS signal loss can disrupt commercial fleets, emergency responders, and industries like mining or agriculture. These dropouts stall autonomous operations, reduce productivity, and increase the risk of severe damage.

    These issues aren’t hypothetical. Adversaries have demonstrated sophisticated GPS interference capabilities that can mislead or immobilize multi-million-dollar defense assets. The need for self-contained, spoof-resistant navigation has never been more urgent.

    Strategic-Grade Precision in a Chip

    ANELLO Photonics took a radically new approach to building gyroscopes when it built its Silicon Photonics Optical Gyroscope (SiPhOG) using the same semiconductor processes used for integrated circuits. This breakthrough makes it possible to deliver high-precision optical navigation in a chip-scale form factor — smaller than a fingernail. The SiPhOG harnesses the proven Sagnac effect — central to traditional fiber-optic gyroscopes (FOGs) — but ANELLO has reimagined it using advanced silicon photonics, integrating this into a compact silicon photonic chip.

    This innovation enables:

    • Bias drift < 0.5°/hr. A performance level previously only achieved by large, costly fiber-optic systems.
    • Nanoradian-scale angular sensitivity. Essential for accurate navigation over long durations.
    • Superior to MEMS. Resilient to vibration, thermal variation and EMI — ideal for combat zones and industrial environments.
    • Compact, coin-sized form factor. Easily integrates into existing systems and is small enough to be used for soldier-worn devices, embedded robotics and scalable mass-market applications.

    The ANELLO SiPhOG offers the precision of strategic-grade FOG systems, but with the size, weight, power and cost suitable for widespread tactical deployment to the mass market. This balance makes it uniquely positioned to serve both high-end defense missions and cost-sensitive commercial markets.

    The Full-Stack INS Advantage

    SiPhOGs alone aren’t enough. ANELLO integrates its SiPhOGs with accelerometers, magnetometers, GPS (when available) and onboard CPU logic into a full-stack inertial navigation system (INS). Additionally, these systems use the ANELLO AI-based sensor-fusion engine to intelligently reconcile data, validate signal integrity and detect anomalies, such as jammed or spoofed GPS locations or signal dropouts across land, air and sea. The ANELLO AI sensor-fusion engine processes and tracks in real time the inertial position and GPS position every ~10 ms. The system auto-corrects and seamlessly transitions the sensor modes without any human intervention — always determining what is correct and what is false or being spoofed. The ANELLO AI sensor-fusion engine is continuously being tested and optimized by the ANELLO team with various customers in the field.

    The result is a self-contained, intelligent navigation platform that maintains accurate heading, velocity and position — even in total GPS darkness. The modularity of the ANELLO systems also enables easy integration into various host platforms, from aerial drones to armored vehicles to autonomous boats and robots.

    Field-Proven Resilience in Defense

    During U.S. Department of Defense trials, ANELLO’s INS systems successfully identified and mitigated GPS spoofing attempts in real time. When a vehicle’s GPS feed suddenly shifted its perceived location by kilometers, ANELLO’s AI engine flagged the change as physically impossible, rejected the GPS input and seamlessly relied on ANELLO inertial data to maintain accurate positioning.

    Such robustness makes the ANELLO technology suitable for:

    • UAVs operating in jammed or contested airspace
    • Autonomous Ground Vehicles (AGVs) navigating GPS-denied terrain • Marine systems facing jammed or spoofed GPS signals
    • Land vehicles such as emergency responders and even delivery vehicles
    • Handheld soldier systems that demand compact, rugged navigation capabilities for on-the-move operations.

    Whether installed on armored vehicles, on drones, or embedded in next-gen infantry kits, ANELLO’s optical gyro-based solutions deliver location certainty when precision and accuracy matter.

    Cross-Sector Use Cases

    Autonomy Without Satellites: While defense remains a clear application, the broader commercial value is just as transformative. In agriculture, autonomous vehicles often lose GPS coverage under thick orchard canopies. In underground mines or port operations, satellites are blocked entirely. In these environments, ANELLO’s SiPhOG-powered INS continues to provide reliable localization and position, ensuring autonomous systems don’t stall, stray or crash.

    Commercial applications for ANELLO’s SiPhOG technology include:

    • Autonomous mining vehicles. Enables self-driving trucks and loaders to navigate through tunnels and signal-blocked environments with precision and safety.
    • Port automation and crane systems. Supports operation of automated cranes and cargo movers in GNSS-challenged port environments for uninterrupted container handling and improved throughput.
    • Industrial robotics and logistics. Powers warehouse robots and inspection systems with high-precision navigation in indoor and metallic environments where GPS is unreliable or unavailable.
    • Autonomous maritime systems. Facilitates reliable navigation for unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) operating in coastal, harbor, or fully submerged missions where satellite signals are compromised.

    With rapid integration into commercial drones, robotic forklifts and construction fleets, ANELLO is extending military-grade navigation into everyday autonomy use cases.

    Smarter Navigation in Real Time

    At the heart of ANELLO’s platform is a sophisticated AI sensor fusion engine. Every 10 ms, the system ingests data from multiple sensors, validates physics-based plausibility and recalibrates its state estimates. This allows the system to detect and reject spoofed GPS signals, continue navigation autonomously through temporary GPS dropouts and identify signal degradation before failure occurs.

    This intelligence is what makes the system robust, not just a fallback, but a fully capable primary navigation method in harsh and dynamic environments. It also significantly reduces the operational risk and support burden typically associated with traditional inertial systems.

    Compact, Scalable, Mission-Ready

    As conflicts evolve and global infrastructure expands into GPS-hostile regions, inertial systems must become smaller, smarter and more affordable. ANELLO is advancing a roadmap toward fully integrated, chip-scale INS platforms with gyros, lasers, processors and algorithms all on a single platform. This enables faster deployment in the field, lower system power consumption and broader adoption across vast use cases for military and industrial systems.

    The company’s domestic chip fabrication capability also ensures supply chain security, an increasingly critical factor in national defense and industrial automation strategies. From soldier systems and UAVs to autonomous cargo vehicles and industrial robots, ANELLO’s technology is positioning itself as a cornerstone for resilient, GPS-independent autonomy.

    Navigatng a Standard for a Contested World

    The future of autonomous operations—military and civilian alike—will need to depend on navigation systems that do not falter when GPS disappears. With its SiPhOG-based inertial platform, ANELLO Photonics is offering not just a backup system, but a new standard: one that combines strategic-grade precision, compact design and AI-driven reliability that can be delivered to the mass market and installed into any vehicle or any moving platform.

    In an era where signal denial is not just a threat but a tactic, assured positioning is no longer optional—it’s essential. ANELLO is redefining the future of navigation, empowering not just autonomous systems but also the people who rely on navigation to operate with confidence and precision — anywhere, anytime — even when the sky goes dark.

  • Quantum positioning system could fill GPS gaps for aviation

    Quantum positioning system could fill GPS gaps for aviation

    The High-BIAS2 project advances cold-atom quantum gyroscope

    The High-BIAS2 (high-bandwidth inertial atom source) project today announced new milestones that move the industry closer to safer skies with more precise inflight navigation systems. The project has advanced its development of a cold atom-based quantum positioning system (QPS), which enables vehicle navigation without a GPS or GNSS signal.

    Reducing the reliance on GPS and GNSS technologies is critical for scenarios where signals from these systems are not available, such as underwater or in space, or when they suffer disruptions due to technical issues, cyberattacks and atmospheric or reflection effects.

    High-BIAS2 is designed to demonstrate the rapid commercialization of quantum technologies for real-world applications.

    “Inertial navigation systems enhanced by ColdQuanta’s Cold Atom Quantum Technology hold the promise of navigation in the absence of GPS and GNSS.”

    Inflight Trials. The project will culminate with inflight trials via BAE Systems’ test aircraft to validate the gyroscope’s use for aerospace applications. The airborne technology demonstrator will consist of a quantum gyroscope sensor and control system, reference gyroscope and commercial navigator system.

    “Gyro technology is a key aspect of navigation for airborne platforms. Improving performance whilst still being compatible with the aerospace environment is something that BAE Systems sees as important in aiding navigation when GNSS signals aren’t available,” said Julia Sutcliffe, air chief technologist, BAE Systems. “We can see exciting applications across our defense, security and commercial businesses including land, sea and air environments for the quantum devices being developed in the High-BIAS2 project.”

    UK Backing. High-BIAS2 is partially funded by the United Kingdom’s government through the National Quantum Technologies Programme, which is focused on accelerating the translation of quantum technologies into the marketplace and securing the UK’s status as a world leader in quantum science and technologies.

    High-BIAS2 is backed by UK quantum end users and supply-chain partners. Technology, application and commercialization development partners include:

    Cold atom quantum technology serves as the foundation for the project’s gyroscope and QPS. Its quantum sensor uses tightly confined ultra-cold atoms, which are cooled to a billionth of a degree above absolute zero and organized in a novel configuration. This approach to harnessing cold atom quantum technology is crucial to success in aerospace applications where motion sensing in highly dynamic environments is the norm.

    “High-BIAS2 is a huge step forward in developing practical use cases for quantum sensors and will showcase the real power of quantum in action,” said Dan Caruso, CEO and executive chairman of ColdQuanta. “Inertial navigation systems enhanced by ColdQuanta’s cold atom quantum technology hold the promise of navigation in the absence of GPS and GNSS. This technological breakthrough benefits a wide range of billion dollar industries including aerospace, autonomous vehicles, marine transportation, oil and gas excavation and more.”

    This velocity-distribution data for a gas of rubidium atoms confirmed the discovery of the Bose–Einstein condensate in 1995. In these three snapshots in time, atoms—cooled to near absolute zero—condensed from less dense areas on the left (red, yellow, and green) to very dense areas at the center and the right (blue and white). (Image: NIST/JILA/CU-Boulder)
    This velocity-distribution data for a gas of rubidium atoms confirmed the discovery of the Bose–Einstein condensate in 1995. In these three snapshots in time, atoms—cooled to near absolute zero—condensed from less dense areas on the left (red, yellow, and green) to very dense areas at the center and the right (blue and white). (Image: NIST/JILA/CU-Boulder)

  • Inertial Labs releases 2-axis, 3-axis gyroscopes

    Inertial Labs releases 2-axis, 3-axis gyroscopes

    Inertial Labs' TAG-200 two-axis and TAG-300 three-axis gyroscopes are designed for use in harsh environments. (Photo: Inertial Labs)
    Inertial Labs’ TAG-200 two-axis and TAG-300 three-axis gyroscopes are designed for use in harsh environments. (Photo: Inertial Labs)

    Inertial Labs has released its TAG-200 two-axis and TAG-300 three-axis gyroscopes, developed for electro-optical systems, gimbals, line-of-sight, and pan and tilt platforms for stabilization and pointing applications.

    According to the company, TAG-200 and TAG-300 utilize advanced performance, tactical-grade MEMS sensitive elements, of which size, power consumption, reliability and performance are ideal for accomplishing complex tasks requiring accurate stabilization of assorted platforms.

    The gyroscopes, designed for use in harsh environments, can withstand extreme shock and vibration in accordance with MIL-STD-810 ground mobile use, Inertial Labs added. In addition, they are fully digitized, include built-in test functionalities and have no moving parts.

    Key advantages of the dual TAG-200 and triple TAG-300 axis gyroscopes include low noise, low latency, wide bandwidth, high data rate, low bias drift, low VRE, high MTBF and ITAR-free, Inertial Labs said. The gyroscopes are factory calibrated over operational temperature range with low non-orthogonality and misalignment between sensitive elements. They’re also QA/QC tested and supplied with individual calibration and acceptance test certificates.

    Inertial Labs, based in Paeonian Springs, Virginia, manufactures orientation and navigation sensor solutions.

  • DARPA wants photonic integrated circuits

    DARPA wants photonic integrated circuits

    High-energy photons emission (abstract illustration). (GiroScience/Shutterstock.com)
    High-energy photons emission (abstract illustration). (Photo: GiroScience/Shutterstock.com)

    The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Microsystems Technology Office is soliciting research proposals for the development of a new class of atom-based systems using integrated photonics and trapped atoms to enable high-performance, robust, portable clocks and gyroscopes.

    The military researchers are asking industry to develop relatively simple portable photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for high-performance position, navigation and timing (PNT) devices as an alternative to GPS for when satnav signals are not available.

    A PIC or integrated optical circuit, similar to an electronic integrated circuit, integrates multiple photonic (having to do with light) functions, providing capabilities for information signals imposed on optical wavelengths, typically in the visible spectrum or near-infrared, 850–1650 nanometers.

    A-PhI Program

    The Atomic-Photonic Integration (A-PhI) program seeks to develop trapped-atom based, high-performance PNT devices, reducing the complexity of these atomic systems by using PICs. According to the DARPA document, the PICs will replace the optical assembly behind devices such as sensitive and accurate angle sensors and clocks, while still enabling the necessary trapping, cooling, manipulation and interrogation of atoms.

    A-PhI aims to demonstrate that compact PICs can replace the optical bench of conventional free-space optics for high-performance trapped-atom gyroscopes and trapped-atom clocks without degrading the performance of the underlying physics package.

    Physics

    Atomic systems using trapped atoms have the potential to be made portable while maintaining their accuracy due to the atomic trap’s small size and the inherent isolation a trap offers an atomic system from the environment, especially from acceleration.

    Currently, these systems are bulky, heavy, and not notably portable, because of the complexity of the optical systems used to create the trap.
    In the past, efforts to miniaturize the hundreds to thousands of optical components in such benchtop systems have relied on removing optical elements, miniaturizing the remaining elements, and tightly integrating them in a small package.

    The products deliver degraded performance with the need to maintain very tight optical alignment, causing both poor environmental robustness and poor tolerance to design errors. Effective miniaturized atomic systems cannot be achieved at a reasonable cost with this approach.

    Recent developments in PIC research suggest that on-chip optical frequency combs based on microresonators, optical frequency synthesis, novel on-/off-chip coupling, wavelength demultiplexers, and on-chip phased arrays for dynamic manipulation of light fields can replace optical systems with readily manufacturable, low-cost chips without the alignment sensitivity of conventional free-space optics.

    Gyroscopes

    A-PhI also seeks to develop proof-of-concept trapped atom gyroscopes, a matter-wave analog of the interferometric fiberoptic gyroscope. Such a miniaturization effort could generate an order of magnitude improvement in angular sensitivity and dynamic range over current free-space products.

    A-PhI hopes to develop portable, high-performance, navigation and timing systems: the miniaturization of the optics of atomic systems without a decrease in performance.

    Subsequent work, the RFP asserts, will be required to incorporate the necessary compact and robust lasers and electronics to achieve a fully functioning, high-performance, portable PNT system.

  • Three-axis gyro launched for optical image stabilization

    Three-axis gyro launched for optical image stabilization

    Photo: Gladiator Technologies
    Photo: Gladiator Technologies

    Gladiator Technologies has introduced a three-axis, inertial rate system gyroscope. The G300D gyro is 0.67 cubic inches, low power and high speed, making it suitable for image stabilization applications, the company said.

    The G300D has message timing under 150 microseconds and output data rates up to 8 kHz with external sync. A micro-electro-mechanical gyroscope, it has an ARW of <0.0028 degrees/sec/√Hz and an option for both 24 and 32-Bit LSB for exceptional resolution.

    Users can configure the G300D to their desired configuration using a software development kit or through software protocols to simplify the integration process.

    “The G300D, with a 250-Hz bandwidth, allows user to replace more complicated and expensive gyros for image stabilization applications,” said Rand Hulsing, chief scientist at Gladiator Technologies. “The three-axis package is also convenient for mounting in any orientation for tight space requirements.”

    “The G300D product is a good example of our SX-series architecture, which has enabled Gladiator to extend our sensor fusion technologies into high speed applications with message latency under 150 usec,” said Lee Dunbar, chief software architect at Gladiator Technologies. “This output offers minimal phase lag like an analog sensor by virtually eliminating typical signal processing and digital conversion overheads.”

    The G300D gyro is non-ITAR.

  • Inertial, gyroscope take to space

    Inertial, gyroscope take to space

    nea-scout-1-piece-sailSensonor AS of Norway has partnered with the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to supply current and future low- and near-Earth orbit space missions with inertial and gyroscope modules.

    The Norway-based company first began supplying its standard inertial measurement unit (IMU) and gyroscope modules for low Earth orbit (LEO) space applications in 2012, Sensonor’s STIM300 and STIM210 inertial products now fly aboard several NASA spacecraft. Current projects using STIM inertial systems include the Raven technology demonstration and Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout.

    Raven, which launched to the International Space Station in September, will test key elements of an autonomous relative navigation system. Its technologies may one day help future robotic spacecraft autonomously and seamlessly rendezvous with other objects in motion, such as a satellite in need of fuel or a tumbling asteroid.

    The NEA Scout is a robotic reconnaissance mission that will be deployed to fly by and return data from an asteroid representative of NEAs.

    The STIM gyroscope modules are often used in combination with GPS or a Star Tracker and Kalman Filter to orient and stabilize the satellite, as well as to provide feedback on satellite motion induced by its reaction wheels. In some applications, the gyroscopes are used to stabilize satellite-to-satellite communications.

  • CES 2016: Bosch Sensortec unveils intelligent accelerometers and high-performance gyroscopes

    Bosch Sensortec is unveiling new generations of intelligent accelerometers and high-performance gyroscopes at the 2016 International CES in Las Vegas.

    Aimed at smartphones, tablets and wearables, the new devices cover a wide range of requirements, from low-power consumption for always-on applications such as step counting, to high-performance optical image stabilization (OIS).

    Intelligent three-axis accelerometers — BMA422 and BMA455

    Today’s applications running on modern mobile devices place many demands on motion sensors. These sensors are required to continuously sense motion, such as for step counting operations, while at the same time delivering a high level of performance without compromising battery lifetime.

    To meet these challenges, the new sensors from Bosch Sensortec integrate embedded intelligence functionality into standalone accelerometers. Adding intelligent features to an accelerometer enables innovative applications, while minimizing power consumption by eliminating the need to wake up an application processor or an additional discrete sensor hub. Overall system power management and user experience can be improved by the accelerometer detecting and processing motions such as glance, pick-up and tilt.

    Current consumption of the new accelerometers is kept very low to extend battery life. The integrated Android 6.0 “Marshmallow” features minimize programming effort for customers. Each device delivers outstanding accelerometer performance for low offset, low temperature coefficient offset (TCO) and low noise levels, the company said.

    Two new accelerometers are being launched: the BMA422 “all-rounder” is suitable for standard applications, and the BMA455 provides high performance for gaming and immersive activity tracking. In addition, the high level of performance enables demanding applications covering augmented reality, virtual reality, image stabilization and industrial measurement applications such as spirit leveling and inclination measurement.

    High-performance gyroscopes — BMG250 and BMG280

    Mobile devices require gyroscopes for many applications, including gaming, augmented reality, virtual reality and OIS. To provide the necessary performance, Bosch Sensortec’s new gyroscopes combine the most important parameters in a single device: low noise, low TCO and high bias stability.

    Although delivering high performance, they do both feature the lowest power consumption of any standalone gyroscope in the market, thus helping to extend battery lifetime in mobile devices.

    Today’s announcement includes two three-axis gyroscopes: the BMG250 provides low noise, low TCO and high bias stability, while the BMG280 delivers ultra-low noise optimized for OIS and includes a secondary interface for OIS, making it fit for use in camera modules. The BMG280’s secondary interface can be used in parallel with the primary user application interface, for example for simultaneous panorama creation and OIS.

    Packages and availability

    The new devices are provided in small packages. The BMA422 measures 2.0 x 2.0 x 0.95 mm³, while the BMA455 is 2.0 x 2.0 x 0.65 mm³. The BMG250 and BMG280 gyroscopes both measure 3.0 x 2.5 x 0.83 mm³.

    Samples of the all sensors are available now, with mass production of the gyroscopes to commence in Q1 2016 and mass production of the accelerometers starting in mid-2016. For pricing, contact Bosch Sensortec.

  • ABI Research: MEMS Sensors and Hands-Free Interfaces Will Revolutionize Mobile Devices

    ABI Research: MEMS Sensors and Hands-Free Interfaces Will Revolutionize Mobile Devices

    Photo: ABI Research

    Accelerometers, gyroscopes, near field communications (NFC), and gesture recognition are predicted to be the big winners in mobile devices. These mobile technologies are projected to make the greatest penetration gains over the coming years, according to a recent study by market intelligence firm ABI Research.

    “Hands-free operation or gesture recognition is soon going to become a key differentiator in high-end flagship smartphones, media tablets, and smart glasses,” says senior analyst Joshua Flood. “Samsung’s latest Galaxy S4 has already incorporated the technology within its handset and has received significant plaudits for its new innovative user experience. Furthermore, with a host of new smart glass products soon to be released, it is easy to imagine the usefulness of the interface with this product.” In 2013, almost 12% of smartphones shipped will have vision-based gesture recognition capabilities.

    Accelerometers and gyroscopes play a crucial role with today’s mobile devices, enabling devices to be more intuitive and take action without a user pressing a button. Simple actions like switching from portrait to landscape when a smartphone is tilted are made possible by including these components. Additionally, the fast growing mobile gaming market is highly dependent upon smartphones including gyroscopes, which enhance gaming experience. Nearly half of the smartphones shipped this year will include these MEMS sensor types.

    NFC has been one of the most talked about mobile technologies that has not quite taken off. The technology has primarily been focused around mobile payments; however, mobile OEMs have begun to see other potential capabilities for the technology such as photo-sharing and location information tag points that could open a huge market for advertising and marketing campaigns. Within three years, it is anticipated one in two smartphones shipped will include NFC and have gesture recognition capabilities. Furthermore, accelerometers and gyroscopes will be the “norm” with most smartphones.

    These findings are part of ABI Research’s Next Generation Mobile Devices and Mobile Handset Go-to-market Strategies Research Services.