PROPOSAL NUMBER: | 06 S7.01-8394 |
SUBTOPIC TITLE: | Guidance, Navigation and Control Beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) |
PROPOSAL TITLE: | Nano-g Micromachined Inertial Sensors with Low Payload Impact |
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Radiant Acoustics, Inc.
One Broadway, 14th Floor
Cambridge, MA 02142-1187
(617) 682-3627
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER
(Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Neal A Hall
nahall@radiantacoustics.com
One Broadway, 14th Floor
Cambridge, MA 02142-1187
(617) 682-3627
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT ( Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
Radiant Acoustics' patented technology for micro-interferometry enables a nano-g intertial sensor for NASA's emerging needs. The proposed sensor system is 1000x more sensitive than commercial sensors. The sensor combines silicon micromachining (i.e. MEMS) and nanotechnology-based infrared vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) to form a robust sensing architecture functioning in a fundamentally different way than any existing sensor systems by using an optical interferometer within a 5 mm^3 package. Working prototypes have been fabricated and characterized. This Phase I proposal is to develop our proven laboratory innovation into a product for NASA and other commercial markets. All Key Personnel are Full time Employees of the company.
POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS ( Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Nano-g intertial sensors with low payload impact with a potential for 1000x improvment in sensitivity gives NASA the increased performance to push the envelope of demands. Single axis accelerometers are the primary focus of this phase I proposal, but the exploration of gyroscope concepts employing the sensing architecture and their evaluation are on the roadmap for Phase II development in addition to multi-axis accelerometers.
POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS ( Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The North American Accelerometer market will be $360M in 2006 and the Low-G segment of that market is $127M, which represents our initial target market. Customers in those markets include commercial aerospace companies and industrial equipment monitoring. Low-G commercial applications include Inertial Navigation systems and vehicle rollover detection. Given our unique advantage at nano-G accelerations, our Low-G products will be extremely competitive.
NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA. |
TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
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Attitude Determination and Control
Gravitational Guidance, Navigation, and Control |