Novel Precision Fiber Optic Gyroscope

Gyroscopes are found in nearly every airplane, many cars, robots, missiles, and more. The reason for such broad, wide-spread use is simple: gyroscopes are excellent tools for determining rotation, and can be quite sensitive. Fiber-optic gyroscopes, though light weight and robust, have not been able to match the performance of ring-laser gyroscopes. To provide a solution, Los Gatos Research has developed a novel approach to gyroscope design that is based on fiber optics and lasers, but avoids many of the disadvantages of standard fiber-optic gyroscopes, providing dramatically increased-sensitivity.