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New Kind of Compass. It Could Dramatically Change How We Navigate the World
Fortune ^ | 12 Nov 2018 | HALLIE DETRICK

Posted on 11/12/2018 3:59:02 PM PST by DUMBGRUNT

Their so-called quantum compass measures the movements of supercooled atoms using a quantum accelerometer which, unlike previous accelerometers, remains accurate over time and doesn’t require external references. Built over five years with $346 million (£270m) funding from the U.K. government, you probably won’t find the three-foot wide, three-foot tall compass under the Christmas tree or in your smartphone any time soon, but it has the potential to dramatically change how we navigate the world. Here’s how:

It’s ultra secure

It’s incredibly accurate

It’s surprisingly cost-effective

(Excerpt) Read more at fortune.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: gps; quantumcompass
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A bit large for the car, and I'm fresh out of liquid helium.

Coming to an iPhone near you! Just keep the phone in the deep, deep freeze each night?

1 posted on 11/12/2018 3:59:02 PM PST by DUMBGRUNT
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To: DUMBGRUNT

Will it suffer from relativistic effects at near light speeds?


2 posted on 11/12/2018 4:07:17 PM PST by reg45 (Barack 0bama: Gone but not forgiven.)
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To: DUMBGRUNT

Too late.
The Big Bang team got there first.
But Kripke improved it.
;-)


3 posted on 11/12/2018 4:09:20 PM PST by Da Coyote
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To: DUMBGRUNT

Why do they call it a compass?


4 posted on 11/12/2018 4:09:50 PM PST by TexasGator (Z1)
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To: reg45

“Will it suffer from relativistic effects at near light speeds?”

No problem. It is all relative.


5 posted on 11/12/2018 4:10:37 PM PST by TexasGator (Z1)
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To: DUMBGRUNT

This article says the atoms are cooled with lasers.

http://www.m2lasers.com/quantum_compass_could_allow_navigation_without_relying_on_satellites.html


6 posted on 11/12/2018 4:22:30 PM PST by Moonman62 (Give a man a fish and he'll be a Democrat. Teach a man to fish and he'll be a responsible citizen.)
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To: TexasGator

I found this definition at Merriam-Webster

b : any of various nonmagnetic devices that indicate direction


7 posted on 11/12/2018 4:24:05 PM PST by Moonman62 (Give a man a fish and he'll be a Democrat. Teach a man to fish and he'll be a responsible citizen.)
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To: DUMBGRUNT

Bookmark


8 posted on 11/12/2018 4:26:14 PM PST by silverleaf (A man who kneels for the national anthem doesn't stand for much of anything)
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To: DUMBGRUNT

Nerds!
This gives me a headache so, it feels better to just yell out Nerds!


9 posted on 11/12/2018 4:35:33 PM PST by right way right (May we remain sober over mere men, for God really is our only true hope.,)
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To: DUMBGRUNT

I read the article, and unless I missed something, this is not a compass, which merely indicates direction. It is superior to GPS, which means it’s a complete navigation system with comparable output such as direction, speed, elevation, time etc.

The fact that it is self contained, that is not depending on satellites or another outside reference, does make it quite a gem if it is a accurate as they claim.

I did not notice if it is EMP proof.


10 posted on 11/12/2018 4:37:38 PM PST by redfreedom
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To: redfreedom

All of those would be great aboard ship.


11 posted on 11/12/2018 4:42:59 PM PST by ro_dreaming (Chesterton, 'Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. It's been found hard and not tried')
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To: DUMBGRUNT

GPS works fine.


12 posted on 11/12/2018 4:56:55 PM PST by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
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To: Moonman62

What fun would that be?
Everybody wants to have a dewar of liquid helium to perform ‘cool’ tricks with.

A guy has to have some fun.


13 posted on 11/12/2018 4:58:37 PM PST by DUMBGRUNT (So what!)
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To: redfreedom
this is not a compass, which merely indicates direction. It is superior to GPS, which means it’s a complete navigation system with comparable output such as direction, speed, elevation, time etc.
That’s the way it looks to me, too. It really should be compared to INS - which is probably what it really is. Seems like you could do that with perfect accelerometers, if you used a pair of them to measure angular acceleration in each of the three orthogonal axes as well as to measure linear acceleration in each axis.

But for such a system to outperform GPS, the quality of those accelerometers must be something to behold. Wonder if this thing needs an alignment time similar to that of an INS . . .


14 posted on 11/12/2018 4:59:19 PM PST by conservatism_IS_compassion
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To: DUMBGRUNT

Its amazing that even here at FR there are people who don’t understand the need for this.


15 posted on 11/12/2018 5:06:09 PM PST by gaijin
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To: redfreedom

Little yet for the consumer version with all the eye-popping displays.

Guessing that it is close to an extremely accurate gyrocompass, that also knows where it has been, the rate of travel...

EMP proof? The guts (quantum accelerometer)probably.
For the support equipment, you may have wait for the mil-spec version.

And if you can hold out for the prosumer line...


16 posted on 11/12/2018 5:09:47 PM PST by DUMBGRUNT (So what!)
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To: ro_dreaming

All of those would be great aboard ship.

...

They would be. I believe our nuclear submarines use changes in the Earth’s gravitational field to navigate. I wonder if this new device could replace that.


17 posted on 11/12/2018 5:13:12 PM PST by Moonman62 (Give a man a fish and he'll be a Democrat. Teach a man to fish and he'll be a responsible citizen.)
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To: right way right

“This gives me a headache so, it feels better to just yell out Nerds!”

Be glad it isn’t the hardcore stuff, that will make your brain hurt for days.

And the liquid helium can give a real brain freeze.

Freezing Things With Liquid Nitrogen And Then Whacking Them With A Hammer In Slow Motion

http://digg.com/video/liquid-nitrogen-sledgehammer

Some of them shatter spectacularly, like a watermelon, while others, like a baseball, fail to yield to the mighty blunt force trauma of a big sledgehammer. So it goes.


18 posted on 11/12/2018 5:16:43 PM PST by DUMBGRUNT (So what!)
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To: Bonemaker

GPS works fine.

Until it is hacked, or jammed, or the EU shuts you off...


19 posted on 11/12/2018 5:23:39 PM PST by DUMBGRUNT (So what!)
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To: ro_dreaming

My first thought was for a submarine. And worth every penny for that application.


20 posted on 11/12/2018 5:46:53 PM PST by highpockets
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