Honeywell uses DARPA funding to develop more capable IMUs
Micro-electromechanical technology enables higher-performance inertial measurement without adding to size and weight burden, says Honeywell.
Honeywell is using funding from DARPA to create new-generation inertial sensor technology for commercial and defence applications.
Research has shown the new sensors to be greater than 50 times more accurate than the Honeywell HG1930 tactical-grade inertial measurement unit (IMU) product, the company noted in a 25 January announcement.
The research is funded under the Precise Robust Inertial Guidance for Munitions: Thermally Stabilized Inertial Guidance for Munitions (PRIGM TIGM) programme from DARPA.
Various types of IMUs are on the market, some of them using the same kind of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) precision measurement technology as the new units under development.
‘Typically, MEMS inertial sensors have been on the lower end of the performance scale, but this latest milestone shows we are changing that paradigm’ without significant changes to size and weight of the IMU, said Jenni Strabley, director of offering management for inertial sensors at Honeywell Aerospace.
She added: ‘This is a game-changer for the navigation industry, where customers need highly accurate solutions but cannot afford to compromise on weight or size.’
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