Tiny gravity sensor could detect drug tunnels, mineral deposits

science mag ^ | May 2016 | Sid Perkins

[Rebelbase]

“I imagine they could used for navigation, too once accurate gravity maps are established.”

A replacement for when the magnetic poles go berserk?

[doug from upland]

Way beyond me.

[TXnMA]

"They would also detect vibrations from foot and vehicle traffic as well if they are sensitive enough. Or - have them combined with a miniature seismic sensor."

~~~~~~~~

I spent several years working on development of micromachined silicon microsensors -- including suspended-mass motion sensors like these.

Believe me, the sensors discussed in this article would be far more effective seismometers than they are gravity sensors. The problem is in nulling out seismic or other vibration signals in order to detect micro-gravity variations...

Perhaps one approach might be to encapsulate them in a controlled-viscosity damping fluid -- perhaps a non-Newtonian one... Even so, temperature effects on fluid viscosity might have to be controlled or compensated...

[trebb]

Tiny gravity sensor could detect drug tunnels, mineral deposits............or Michael Moore’s approach?..............

A seismograph is sensitive enough for Moore...