Qualtre to use efficient gyroscope technology

PORTLAND: Qualtre Inc, a startup company, is all set to use a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscope technology created by Georgia Tech which employs bulk-acoustic wave (BAW) disks in place of the tuning-fork resonator which is usually used in MEMS gyroscopes. Marlborough, Massachusetts-based Qualtre said that its technology would enhance battery life in mobile devices as it used very less power.

It would also be cheaper to manufacture owing to it being smaller in size as compared to the tuning-fork resonators in use presently. Samples of the BAW-based gyroscopes would be revealed by the company later this year.

The gyroscopes manufactured by Qualtre employ a 600-by-35 micron-sized silicon disk that resonates in the MhZ range, and has a gap of 180 nanometers between it and the electrodes along its edge. The vibration modes in the silicon disk are changed on account of motion and this change is detected as small deformations in the disk when it resists the coriolis force that opposes its motion.

The mechanical gain that goes beyond 20,000 allows the mechanism to use up a lower amount of power that contributed to sustaining resonance.

The wider dynamic range of BAW enables the gyroscope to be used in many consumer electronics such as navigational devices, handheld and console based gaming controllers, camcorders, digital cameras and even remote controls.

Qualtre is presently also seeking a second round of financing to create and market its technology. The first round of funding for the company was done by Waltham, Massachusetts-based Matrix Partners for $5 million in 2008.