WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., Oct. 24 (UPI) -- A new micro-nuclear magnetic resonance gyro for precision navigation has been developed and demonstrated for the U.S. military by Northrop Grumman.
The prototype device, which is hermetically sealed, is the culmination of an eight-year program of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
"Our miniature gyro technology offers unprecedented size, weight and power savings in a compact package, exceeding program requirements," said Charles Volk, vice president of Northrop Grumman's Advanced Navigation Systems business unit.
"This important technology can help protect our warfighters by offering highly accurate positioning information, regardless of GPS availability."
Northrop said the micro- nuclear magnetic resonance gyro technology uses the spin of atomic nuclei to detect and measure rotation, providing comparable performance to a navigation-grade fiber-optic gyro in a small, lightweight, low power package. It has no moving parts and is not inherently sensitive to vibration and acceleration.
The technology can be used in any application needing low power precision navigation GPS-denied or GPS-challenged locations.
