Tiny DARPA chip has six-axis inertial guidance for military GPS backup

Stefan Mileschin · 15th April 2013, 08:28

Before satellites, getting from A to B without radio signals involved cumbersome inertial systems found only on advanced civilian and military aircraft. Those are still the best backup for GPS, and working with the University of Michigan, DARPA has found a way to reduce the once fridge-sized units to half the width of your fingernail. The chips contain everything needed for precise navigation including an accurate master clock, a three-axis gyroscope and three accelerometers, all contained in three hair-width layers. If it gets out of the lab, it would give soldiers another option in the event of an enemy GPS attack or when they're in a tunnel, and might even guide you to that Macy's restroom if it ever hits civilian form.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/12/t...%28Engadget%29

15th April 2013, 08:28	#1
Stefan Mileschin [M] Reviewer Join Date: May 2010 Location: Romania Posts: 153,514	Tiny DARPA chip has six-axis inertial guidance for military GPS backup Before satellites, getting from A to B without radio signals involved cumbersome inertial systems found only on advanced civilian and military aircraft. Those are still the best backup for GPS, and working with the University of Michigan, DARPA has found a way to reduce the once fridge-sized units to half the width of your fingernail. The chips contain everything needed for precise navigation including an accurate master clock, a three-axis gyroscope and three accelerometers, all contained in three hair-width layers. If it gets out of the lab, it would give soldiers another option in the event of an enemy GPS attack or when they're in a tunnel, and might even guide you to that Macy's restroom if it ever hits civilian form. http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/12/t...%28Engadget%29

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Freescale cooks up tiny ARM chip for you to eat	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	1st March 2013 07:36
Using the Ultimate Backup Tool to Create a Backup of Your Android Phone	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	21st February 2013 11:46
Intel Lowers Q4 Revenue Guidance, Blames Hard Drive Shortages	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	13th December 2011 08:09
DIY 3-Axis CNC Milling Machine for Under $100	jmke	WebNews	0	21st June 2010 20:44
Nvidia slashes Q4 guidance up to 50%	jmke	WebNews	0	14th January 2009 19:10
AGEIA Misses Guidance: PhysX Processor May Be Delayed.	jmke	WebNews	0	30th November 2005 00:05
Bytecc Backup Star One-Touch Backup External Enclosure	jmke	WebNews	0	23rd November 2005 20:07
Axis Communications 207 Network Camera	Sidney	WebNews	0	12th September 2005 16:55
Data Backup Part II: Several backup methods	jmke	WebNews	0	19th July 2005 09:27
Data Backup: Why You Need a Backup Plan in Place	Sidney	WebNews	0	18th July 2005 05:21