An improved Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) displacement sensor based on optical interference has been developed and patented by the Department of Navy's SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) for use in guided missiles and unmanned ground, aerial, and underwater vehicles. The technology has been licensed by Lumedyne Technologies, Inc., and is currently being developed to vastly improve oil, gas, and geothermal energy exploration and potentially enable advanced greenhouse gas mitigation techniques such as carbon sequestration. The ultra-high sensitivity of the SSC Pacific displacement sensor makes it ideal for the precision performance accelerometer market, including energy exploration and the precision guidance of aircraft and spacecraft, as well as munitions. It can also be used in seismic imaging to maximize oil, gas, and geothermal energy opportunities.
The device leaps forward in the MEMS family of very small electrically driven mechanical devices and has logged the best known value for transduction in a MEMS device (>75mA/µm) and has the potential to reduce the signal-to-noise ratio up to three orders of magnitude over common capacitive-based MEMS devices. The increase in sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio is due to the novel optical interference approach implemented. Instead of measuring a small change in charge, i.e. electrons, across a capacitor, this new technique uses the very small wavelength of light to detect motion. In addition to the DOD and energy exploration applications, consumer electronics, including the Nintendo® Wii™ and the Apple® iPhone™, contain accelerometers. These improved accelerometers will result in a better experience for the consumer.
For more information, contact ssc_pac_t2@navy.mil.
