• Companies enter co-operation agreement to develop new generation of inertial products
• Agreement strengthens established MOU

Silicon Sensing Systems Ltd and Kongsberg Discovery AS have signed a co-operation agreement to develop next generation MEMS-based gyro technology that will disrupt existing solutions.

A formal agreement between Silicon Sensing Systems  and Kongsberg Discovery AS was signed  during EXPO in Osaka, Japan. The purpose is to bring the companies together to co-develop next-generation inertial technology.

Executive Vice President Anders Rønningen in Kongsberg Discovery states the importance of this agreement: “In the current geopolitical climate, established companies must collaborate to develop technologies that ensure a secure future. Succeeding in this collaboration will result in the world’s best gyro.”

Gyro sensors measure changes in rotation angle over time, enabling detection of direction, angle, and vibration. They are used in smartphones, game consoles, car navigation systems, industrial equipment, and devices requiring vibration detection, camera shake correction, and attitude control.

“The diverse range of applications for this technology is expected to grow significantly in the future. This agreement will foster growth for both companies, as well as for Norway, Japan and UK. We have established a strong presence in the maritime market and are now venturing into new markets,” states Rønningen.

Satoru Miyamoto, General Manager, Silicon Sensing (Japan) explains: “For over a year we have been working with Kongsberg Discovery, exploring how best to bring our engineering teams together to move us towards performance goals that will extend the capabilities of our entire product portfolio – bringing real operational benefits across many industrial sectors. This important agreement details how we will achieve those ambitions.”

This agreement will merge the engineering skills of both companies to speed the evolution of products within each company. Kongsberg will use developments to enhance their next generation of high-performance systems – including Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS) and Inertial Navigation Systems (INS). Silicon Sensing will use these outcomes to benefit its precision Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) inertial measurement units (IMUs), gyros and accelerometers.

The ambition for Silicon Sensing and Kongsberg Discovery is to achieve ‘navigation-grade’ performance from a MEMS-based gyro. Navigation-grade refers to a highly accurate and stable gyroscope used in inertial navigation systems (INS) to precisely measure angular velocity and rotational motion.  By combining their extensive capabilities the companies will significantly accelerate the development of such a gyro.

David Somerville, General Manager at Silicon Sensing (UK), concludes: “This endeavor will fast-track development activities in key areas for both companies, bringing critical performance gains for customers in fields as diverse as satellite control, subsea mapping, industrial robotics, aviation and maritime.”