Micro rate gyroscopes based on surface acoustic waves

Modern MEMS gyros are used in many different applications, but still there is an area that is uncovered - highly dynamic objects. It requires shock resistance up to 65000 g and ability to measure angular velocities up to 10000 °/s. Traditional vibrational micro rate gyros are not able to satisfy these requirements due to elastic suspensions and proof masses used in their design. That is why a solid-state gyro (SSG) should be constructed. Such devices consist of only a single crystal and accompanying electronics. This paper provides a short introduction to the theoretical framework of surface acoustic wave (SAW) based SSGs and a brief description, analysis and comparison of existing design concepts. It discusses main advantages, problems, and prospects for further development of SAW-based SSGs.