MTI, Ltd. will develop a precision, solid-state, magnetic compass with an absolute accuracy of better than 0.5 degree using the innovative Scanning Magnetic Angle Comparator (SMAC) technology. A SMAC compass will offer distinct advantages over conventional compasses, because it provides more degrees of freedom to optimize performance by employing feedback via a microprocessor to minimize error. The basic SMAC compass will be a non-inertial, self-calibrating design employing commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) magnetic sensors. It will also incorporate tilt sensors. A design for a prototype, guided by error model analyses, will be developed in Phase I. The prototype proposed for fabrication and development in the Phase I option will be about 1.0" in diameter and 2.5" long, and will be tested and evaluated in a Helmholtz coil facility. In Phase II, the SMAC compass design will be optimized and, to the extent possible, implemented using integrated circuit technology to achieve both the performance goals and the cost goal of under $1,000 per unit. At the end of Phase II, a compact, integrated SMAC compass will be available for evaluation by the Navys autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), towed array or extended range guided munitions programs.
Benefits: The SMAC compass will have numerous military and civilian applications, including navigation systems for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), heading sensors for towed arrays and seismic streamers, navigation systems for guided munitions, heading sensor augmentation of GPS navigation systems, direction finding for cellular telephones using directional antennas, etc.
Keywords: compass magnetic compass navigation heading sensor magnetic sensor autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) orientation sensor guidance