Australian partnership hopes to slash cost of gyroscopes by 85%

The navigation system manufacturer will partner with RMIT University, the Australian National University (ANU) and commercial partner Corridor Insights.

Overall, the collaboration hopes to "cut the cost of ultra-high-performance gyroscopes by 85 per cent".

In a press release posted by RMIT, project partners note that high-performance gyroscopes have a range of commercial and military applications, including:

• Improving the navigation and safety of autonomous cars;
• Correcting the course of satellites travelling at 11,000km/h; and
• Enhancing the precision of drones used for remote inspection of infrastructure.

Chris Shaw, chief executive of Advanced Navigation, added that the project would look to "explore the complete manufacturing pipeline – from basic microchip components, sophisticated signal processing, system integration and real-world application".

"It’s a landmark partnership that will deliver world-class technology and showcase the amazing opportunities for a new home-grown, high-tech manufacturing industry in Australia," he said.

Researchers at ANU hope to adapt an optical measurement technique known as digital interferometry to increase cost-effectiveness of high-performance gyroscopes. The technology detects minuscule light inconsistencies detected through digital interferometry, allowing manufacturers to "shrink ultra-high-performance gyroscopes from the size of a bread box to the size of a coffee cup”, as Professor Aman Mitchell of RMIT's Integrated Photonics and Applications Centre put it.

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ANU photonics researcher associate professor Jong Chow said the miniscule light inconsistencies detected through digital interferometry could have mammoth flow-on effects.

“Separating a tiny blip of noise from an actual signal can be the difference between a satellite avoiding a meteorite or crashing into it, or an automated car swerving to prevent a collision,” Chow said.