The Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology (CCAT) in San Diego, California, announced recently that it had awarded Omega Sensors Inc., a $49,000 product development award.
The company will use the funds for continued development of its micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometer technology.
Accelerometers are used to determine acceleration (movement) in navigational vehicles such as helicopters, airplanes and unmanned military aircraft and can be used to measure vibration, velocity and other types of movement.
The San Diego-based Omega Sensors developed the MEMS accelerometer to provide a far less expensive and far more sensitive alternative to accelerometers currently on the market. "This unique MEMS accelerometer has not only been proven to provide world-class accuracy, but it's been determined that Omega Sensors can sell their technology for a fraction of the cost of those accelerometers currently used by NASA in their space shuttles and global positioning systems," said Tom Sheffer, program director for CCAT San Diego.
Omega Sensors' technology can also effectively be used in the seismic imaging market to measure vibration on bridges and civil engineering projects, as well as oil and natural gas exploration. Funded by the Department of Defense (DOD), the CCAT program identifies, evaluates, funds and fast-tracks the development of technologies for use by the DOD and the Department of Homeland Security.
