UNISA Folded Pendulum Research Articles

Watts linkage based large band low frequency sensors for scientific applications

The UNISA Folded Pendulum class of horizontal and vertical sensors, based on an innovative configuration of the classical Watt׳s linkage mechanical architecture, allows the design and implementation of very large band monolithic sensors (10−7Hzto102Hz), whose sensitivities for the most common applications are defined by the noise introduced by their readouts (e.g. <10−12m/Hz with classical LVDT readouts). These unique features, coupled other relevant properties like scalability, compactness, lightness, high directivity, frequency tunability (typical resonance frequencies in the band 10−1Hzto102Hz), very high immunity to environmental noises and low cost make this class of sensors very effective for the implementation of uniaxial (horizontal and/or vertical) and triaxial seismometers and accelerometers for ground, space and underwater applications, including UHV and cryogenics ones.