A new type of sensor that levitates dozens of glass microparticles could revolutionize the accuracy and efficiency of sensing, laying the foundation for better autonomous vehicles, navigation and even the detection of dark matter.
Using a camera inspired by the human eye, scientists from King's College London believe they could track upwards of 100 floating particles in what could be one of the most sensitive sensors to date.
Levitating sensors typically isolate small particles to observe and quantify the impact of outside forces like acceleration on them. The higher the number of particles which could be disturbed and the greater their isolation from their environment, the more accurate the sensor can be.
By being able to both accurately track and control clouds made up of many sensors, the King's design breaks the historical choice previous devices had between rapidly tracking a single object and slowly tracking many.
Professor James Millen, Professor of Physics at King's and Director of the King's Quantum research center, said, "Often unseen, sensors lie at the heart of much of modern technology and science. More accurate sensors would mean that autonomous vehicles can find their way around far more accurately than before as they detect minute changes in acceleration and provide self-contained navigation systems that are not beholden to unreliable satellite connections.
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