Summary:
Researchers in the UCLA Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering have developed a magnetically levitated inertial sensor based on a split magnetic dipole architecture. The anchorless design enables high quality factor (Q) gyroscopic sensing with independently tunable sensitivity and bandwidth, providing a robust solution for precision navigation in demanding environments.
Background:
Miniature gyroscopes are foundational components of inertial navigation and stabilization systems used in aerospace, robotics, defense, and autonomous platforms. These applications demand high precision, low drift, long-term stability, and reliable operation in GPS-denied environments such as underground, underwater, or contested regions. Conventional microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and other anchored resonant gyroscopes are fundamentally limited by anchor-induced damping, thermo-mechanical noise, and structural asymmetries. As device dimensions shrink, anchor losses become increasingly significant relative to the resonator mass, reducing achievable quality factor and degrading bias stability and long-term performance. Magnetically levitated gyroscopes mitigate friction and eliminate anchor-related losses; however, existing levitated architectures typically involve tradeoffs among sensitivity, bandwidth, vibration tolerance, and dynamic range. These coupled constraints limit practical deployment in high-performance navigation systems. Accordingly, there remains a need for a levitated inertial sensor architecture that simultaneously achieves high Q, strong vibration robustness, and independently tunable performance parameters without mechanical anchoring.
Innovation:
Professor Robert Candler and his team have developed a magnetically levitated inertial sensor built on a split magnetic dipole architecture that decouples translational and torsional stiffness control. Implemented as a dual-axis, whole-angle rate gyroscope, the device employs high-speed rotation of a levitated bead to enhance angular sensitivity while eliminating anchor-induced energy loss. The split dipole configuration enables strong translational confinement to improve vibration tolerance and bandwidth, while maintaining compliant torsional stiffness for high angular sensitivity. This independent stiffness tuning allows precise control of scale factor, bandwidth, and dynamic range—addressing a central limitation of prior levitated systems. The architecture achieves a mass–frequency product of greater than 100 g·Hz, among the highest reported for room-temperature levitated systems. In addition, the trap frequency is independent of the bead mass, enabling improved sensitivity without sacrificing bandwidth. When integrated with an accelerometer, the platform can serve as a compact six-degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) inertial measurement unit (IMU). The elimination of mechanical anchors and wear mechanisms supports extended operational lifetimes and improved long-term stability. Collectively, this levitated split-dipole architecture establishes a high-Q, vibration-robust inertial sensing platform with tunable performance characteristics suited for next-generation navigation systems.
Potential Applications:
● Navigation in GPS denied environments
○ Underground or undersea
○ Signal jamming prone environments
● Defense and military navigation
● Consumer and industrial motion sensing
● Space and satellite missions
● Aviation, marine, and autonomous systems
Advantages:
● High sensitivity and quality factor
● Reduced drift, friction, and mechanical wear
● Tunable bandwidth and dynamic range
● Compact and scalable design
State of Development:
Public non-confidential disclosure 10/29/25
Related Publications:
1. US8169114B2 Large gap horizontal field magnetic levitator https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/ed/81/5a/09498b6fa59685/US8169114.pdf
2. Wang et al., “PMN-PT single crystal and Terfenol-D alloy magnetoelectric laminated composites for electromagnetic device applications,” Journal of the Ceramic Society of Japan, 2008
Reference:
UCLA Case No. 2026-191
Lead Inventor:
Robert Candler, Faculty, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering