Archangel Systems, Inc. is developing a novel MEMS inertial sensor called the MEMS Annular Rotating Sensor (MARS™) which will enable extremely accurate and durable Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs). Funding for this sensor has been through Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I, II and III contracts as well as through a Defense Advanced Research Program Agency (DARPA) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Award. The SBIR Phase I and Phase II contracts were funded by the Missile Defense Agency's SBIR Program and managed by the Naval Sea Systems Command's (NAVSEA) Naval Surface Fire Support Program Office, Code PMS-529.

Phase I and Phase II development results were so successful that Archangel was also awarded a $10,000,000 ceiling, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract in July 2004 to gun harden their MARS™ sensor as a Phase III effort. Gun-hardening would enable this sensor to survive and operate after it has been fired from a gun. This would enable conversion from Global Positioning System (GPS) aided navigation systems to systems which can accurately function, even when GPS is unavailable or jammed -- technology needed for emerging projects in precision long-range hypersonic projectiles. This Phase III SBIR contract will enable enhancements and improvements to Archangel's MARS™ sensor, thus allowing the technology to become an integral part of ongoing Naval development efforts. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren, VA is the contracting agency (N00178-04-D-1036).

Archangel is also working to develop a Navigation Grade version of the MARS™ device and MARS™ based IMU, under the DARPA NGIMG program. Successful completion of this 54 month project will enable completely autonomous navigation without any reliance on GPS. Project goals are gyro bias stability of 0.01°/hr, angular random walk of 0.001°/vhr, gyro scale factor stability of 50 ppm and a bandwidth of 300 Hz. in a 1 cm3 package using less than 100mW of power for a six axis IMU.