Oct. 8, 2010 Optical gyroscopes, also known as rotation sensors,
are widely used as a navigational tool in vehicles from ships to
airplanes, measuring the rotation rates of a vehicle on three
axes to evaluate its exact position and orientation. Prof. Koby
Scheuer of Tel Aviv University's School of Physical Engineering
is now scaling down this crucial sensing technology for use in
smartphones, medical equipment and more futuristic technologies.
Working in collaboration with Israel's Department of Defense,
Prof. Scheuer and his team of researchers have developed nano-
sized optical gyroscopes that can fit on the head of a pin --
and, more usefully, on an average-sized computer chip -- without
compromising the device's sensitivity. These gyroscopes will
have the ability to pick up smaller rotation rates, delivering
higher accuracy while maintaining smaller dimensions, he says.
The research was recently described in the journal Optics
Express. "Conventional gyroscopes look like a box, and weigh two
or three pounds