LETI: Development Will Improve the Performance of Navigation Systems
Various navigation systems are used to control objects in space – a combination of algorithms, software, and devices capable of responding to changes in body orientation angles. These changes are captured by gyroscopes – special devices that measure the angular velocity of rotating objects. Such devices often work in unstable overload conditions, which can significantly affect the accuracy of the results obtained.
The project “Development of sensitive elements of angular velocity sensors on bulk acoustic waves” by Yasemin Durukan, Assistant Professor of the Department of Electrical Acoustics and Ultrasonic Engineering, will allow the creation of sensitive elements characterized by the ability to function under vibration and overload and with a wide dynamic range of the measured value.
“The ability of the elements to function under vibration and overload is due to the high durability – the product body is solid-state, and due to the high dynamic range of the measured value there are no limitations for measuring both low angular velocities and high ones.”
Yasemin Durukan, Assistant Professor of the Department of Electrical Acoustics and Ultrasonic Engineering
Today, there are no analogs of the device. The element developed by the LETI researcher works on bulk acoustic waves, while the closest commercially available analogs use surface acoustic waves.
The operation of the angular velocity sensor element is based on changing the wave polarization. “At the ends of the solid body of the device, there is an emitter, which excites a bulk acoustic wave, and a receiver of these oscillations. When there is a rotation, the wave begins to propagate with a large rotation. The informative signal caused by the rotation is a change in polarization,” Yasemin Durukan describes the principle of operation.
The researcher has already created a full-fledged working model – a cylindrical glass body of the device with an emitter and a receiver of vibrations. Plans are to develop a competitive sample with minimal dimensions and maximum output signal level.
At the Department of Electrical Acoustics and Ultrasonic Engineering, acoustic wave research began in 2006 with the description of the theory of surface wave propagation in rotating media. Thus, scientists of the department formulated acoustic principles and engineering solutions for creating a sensitive element of angular velocity sensor based on the characteristics of the propagation of bulk acoustic waves of circular polarization in solid media.