This research is on novel instruments, involving environment sensors, to measure quantities used for safe aircraft operation. Special goals are the quantities used in control, navigation, and safety monitoring provided by major systems too expensive for small aircraft, including rate-of-turn measurement and surface ice monitoring. The rate-of-turn sensor will be based a vibrating bar, as opposed to the standard rotating rate gyro. This technique has been applied to military aircraft, but research is needed to apply the principle to a low-cost instrument. Ice detection will be accomplished using high frequency ultrasound.
