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New navigational tool fits on the head of a pin
Optical gyroscopes help determine the precise position of vehicles from ships to airplanes. Now researchers at Tel Aviv University say they have developed a nano-sized optical gyroscope small enough to fit on the head of a pin.
The device, described in an article in the journal Optics Express, uses extremely small semi-conductor lasers, just a few tens of a micrometer in diameter.
"Conventional gyroscopes look like a box and weigh two or three pounds," said Koby Scheuer, a professor at the university's School of Physical Engineering who worked on the project. "This is fine for an airplane, but if you're trying to fit a gyroscope onto a smaller piece of technology, such as a cell phone, the accuracy will be severely limited."