Kongsberg Discovery has announced the successful development of a revolutionary step forward in resilient, accurate and accessible navigation technology, unveiling a groundbreaking north-seeking micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) solution. The innovation will be showcased at this year’s Oceanology International in London, where Kongsberg Discovery will offer live demonstrations and workshops to illustrate verified performance. The coming product is seen as a gamechanger within positioning and inertial navigation, with far reaching potential.

Accessible benefits

“In many ways, this opens up a whole range of new applications within navigation,” Ane Dalsnes Storsæter, Vice President Inertial Solutions, Kongsberg Discovery, states.” From air and surface-based drones, to subsea ROVs and AUVs, to defence systems, marine surveying, energy applications, and beyond. The device allows for reliable, precise navigation without continuous aiding.

“Up to now, existing north-seeking gyroscopes have not been able to meet new market requirements for size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C). This MEMS solution takes the accuracy associated with larger and more costly units and repackages it in a tiny, lightweight, robust and affordable tactical grade unit that makes tactical navigation truly accessible. We’re absolutely thrilled to demonstrate the potential of this technology first-hand and look forward to making a real splash at Oceanology International.”

Resilient performance

With a solid-state design tailored for high volume production and cost-conscious pricing, the unit delivers robust performance across a wide temperature range, in vibrating and dynamic environments.

As Storsæter explains, the ability to provide resilient tactical grade navigation delivers compelling benefits.

“Obviously, there’s no GNSS when operating in the subsea domain, so using MEMS in applications where size and power consumption is of the essence is a huge advantage,” Storsæter comments. “But beyond that, the need for truly resilient navigation in an ever-changing risk environment – with increased jamming and spoofing – is becoming increasingly important. Our north-seeking MEMS IMU is SWaP-C optimised and operates without a magnetometer for resilient tactical grade navigation. Used in an integrated navigation solution, the KONGSBERG MEMS device will provide a highly competitive inertial edge.”

Long-standing co-operation

Kongsberg Discovery has a long-standing co-operation with Silicon Sensing Systems. The result is a small, robust and highly cost-effective solution that demonstrates north-seeking capabilities, based on Kongsberg Discovery’s proprietary IMU design.

“Nine months ago, we signed a co-operation agreement with an ambition to achieve navigation-grade performance of a MEMS-based gyro. Today we have reached a major milestone in that. North-seeking MEMS is a breakthrough that will bring real operational benefits for a range of sectors and we are proud to be part of this endeavour with Kongsberg Discovery,” says David Somerville, General Manager, Silicon Sensing.

Live demonstration

Industry players eager to be the very first in the world to see the solution in action, with the operational data to prove its effectiveness, are invited to visit Kongsberg Discovery’s stand (D600) at Oceanology International, taking place 10-12 March at ExCel London. The company, a global leader with solutions from deep sea to outer space, will also be using the occasion to launch further products, run live feeds from the Oslofjord CMI Protection Test Bed, hold workshops and presentations, and run live technology demonstrations on the dockside by the exhibition centre.

For further information please see https://www.kongsberg.com/discovery/news/events/oceanology-international/