Providing an Inexpensive Gyro for the Navigation Mass Market

Abstract

The Micro-Optic Gyro is an all-solid-state, passive ring resonator, laser gyro. It uses a waveguide resonator fabricated in glass by ion-exchange, a GaAlAs diode laser, and a SAW frequency shifter, arranged to operate with servos to maintain the CW and CCW ring resonances. The frequency difference between the CW and CCW resonances is a measure of the rotation rate. The equation for the gyro resolution is given, and some data are presented on prototype gyro performance. We discuss the differences between the cost and performance of this gyro and the fiber optic gyros.