The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.

Tom P Thorvaldsen

David M S Johnson

Anthony S Kourepenis

Richard E Stoner

Michael E Ash

David L Butts

Paul DeBitetto

Alison K Brown

W Michael Bowles

An inertial measurement apparatus based on atom interferometry. In one example, the inertial measurement apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, first and second atom capture sites housed within the vacuum chamber, each of the first and second atom capture sites being selectively configured to trap and cool first and second atom samples of distinct atom species, an atom interferometry region disposed between the first and second atom capture sites, and first and second atom interferometers operating in the atom interferometry region, the first atom interferometer being configured to generate a first measurement corresponding to a common inertial input based on the first atom sample, and the second atom interferometer being configured to generate a second measurement corresponding to the same common inertial input based on the second atom sample.

Systems and methods for multiple species atom interferometry

A compact navigation system for a rover is provided. The navigation system includes a housing configured to be transported by the rover; a gimbal system having two or more gimbals that includes at least an outer gimbal connected to the housing and an inner gimbal nested in and connected to the outer gimbal; a solid state three-axis gyro assembly mounted on the inner gimbal; a solid state three-axis accelerometer assembly mounted on the inner gimbal; a gyro logic circuit responsive to the three-axis gyro assembly for producing an inertial angular rate about each gyro input axis; an accelerometer logic circuit responsive to the three-axis accelerometer assembly for producing a non-gravitational acceleration along each accelerometer input axis; and a processor responsive to the gyro logic circuits and the accelerometer logic circuits for determining the attitude and the position of the housing to provide for long term accuracy of the attitude and the position for navigation of the rover.

Compact navigation system and method

An attitude sensing system which incorporates the precision in attitude sensing of a satellite navigation system with the dynamic tracking capabilities of an inertial measurement unit. Optimally estimated attitude and system error signals are combined with the outputs of an inertial measurement unit to control the phase differences of signals received on an interferometer array from a navigation satellite. The outputs from the inertial measurement unit and the phase differences are processed in an optimal estimator filter to produce periodically updated attitude and system error signals. This permits inertial attitude sensing to benefit from the long term accuracy of attitude estimation based upon signals from the satellite navigation system. During conditions of high dynamic maneuvering in which attitude changes are rapid, the output of the inertial measurement unit continues to provide attitude information and controls the attitude sensing loop to insure that the system is not disoriented by such high dynamic conditions.

Attitude sensing system

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Hingham, MA, United States of America

Tom P Thorvaldsen