Polyhedral MEMS Sensor Suite for Compact, Accurate Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor systems, such as Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS) and Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), suffer from large volumetric size, high cost, weight, and power consumption, leading to positional errors, deformation, and sensitivity to environmental stimuli due to their linear stack arrangement, which affects navigation accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A MEMS-based sensor suite is designed with a compact, polyhedral configuration of accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers, minimizing spacing between sensors and reducing volume by a factor of 4 and length by a factor of approximately 4, using flex or rigid flex printed circuit boards for electrical connections, and incorporating signal conditioning circuitry directly adjacent to the sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a linear stack arrangement of uniaxial sensors is used, then the sensor system can be manufactured with discrete components, but the volumetric size and length of the sensor system increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple uniaxial sensors (accelerometers and magnetometers) into a single integrated housing structure. The sensor suite combines three uniaxial accelerometers and three uniaxial magnetometers in one compact package, eliminating the need for separate discrete sensor assemblies and reducing overall system volume while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a linear one-dimensional stack arrangement to a three-dimensional distributed arrangement of sensors within the housing. Sensors are positioned at different spatial locations and orientations within the housing volume, utilizing three-dimensional space to achieve compact packaging while maintaining measurement capabilities
2Ease of manufacture
If a linear stack arrangement of sensors is used, then the sensor system can be assembled in a straightforward manner, but the weight and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensor components and their associated electronics into a single integrated housing, eliminating redundant structural elements and reducing overall weight. The unified design consolidates mounting structures, shielding, and interconnects that would otherwise be required for separate discrete sensor assemblies
3Adaptability or versatility
If a linear stack arrangement of sensors is used, then the sensor system can be positioned in various locations, but the spacing between sensors causes positional errors and uncertainties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions sensors at specific localized locations within the housing where they can optimally detect their respective physical quantities. Each sensor is placed at a location that minimizes its distance to the point of interest while maintaining appropriate spacing for signal integrity, creating a distributed measurement network with known geometric relationships that improve positional accuracy
4Ease of manufacture
If a linear stack arrangement of sensors is used, then the sensor system can be calibrated pre-operationally, but deformation during use requires complex real-time calibration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs calibration of the sensor suite pre-operatively while the system is in a known reference state. The housing structure is designed to maintain stable geometric relationships between sensors during normal operation, allowing calibration to be performed once during manufacturing or initialization, eliminating the need for complex real-time calibration adjustments
5Ease of manufacture
If a linear stack arrangement of sensors is used, then the sensor system can be designed with standard components, but sensitivity to external environmental stimuli increases due to large volumetric size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates all sensors within a single enclosed housing that provides unified environmental shielding. This consolidated structure reduces the total surface area exposed to external environmental factors compared to separate discrete sensor assemblies, and the housing can be designed to provide consistent thermal and mechanical characteristics across all sensor locations
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A microelectromechanical (MEMS) sensor suite including a three axis accelerometer including an accelerometer sensor polyhedron having a series of faces, and a series of axial accelerometers on three faces of the series of faces of the accelerometer sensor polyhedron. The MEMS sensor suite also includes a three axis magnetometer including a magnetometer sensor polyhedron having a series of faces, and a series of axial magnetometers on three faces of the series of faces of the magnetometer sensor polyhedron.