The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has released a disruption opportunity, or DO, to solicit research concepts related to micromechanical oscillators for positioning and navigation applications.
DARPA seeks to demonstrate an anchor-less microsystem that can simultaneously reach heavy mass and high sensing bandwidth in a compact form factor under the Levitated and Trapped Accurate microSystems, or LeviTAS, DO, according to a presolicitation notice published Tuesday.
The LeviTAS program has a total award value of up to $1.2 million and is composed of two phases: feasibility study and proof of concept.
The initiative will use advances in microelectromechanical systems transducers and materials to address the mass x trap-frequency limitation in existing platforms as part of efforts to advance the development of a small-scale navigation sensor.
DARPA will support prototype projects by awarding other transaction agreements.
Responses are due Feb. 15.