Project description
Precise, low-cost navigation for autonomous vehicles
Self-driving cars need navigation systems that work everywhere, including tunnels, crowded cities and parking structures where GPS doesn’t function. While current micro-electro-mechanical systems accelerometers are compact and cheap, they’re not sensitive enough to ensure safe, precise driving. Funded by the European Research Council, the MAGLIFT project aims to develop an accelerometer that uses magnetic levitation to suspend a tiny mass in a magnetic field, allowing for extremely precise motion detection. This design merges accuracy, small size and low manufacturing costs. MAGLIFT’s accelerometer could contribute to the development of safer self-driving vehicles and speed up the adoption of cutting-edge navigation tech.
Objective
Autonomous vehicles rely on GPS-based navigation, but in GPS-denied environments like tunnels, dense urban areas, and parking garages, they need high-precision accelerometers to stay on course. While current MEMS accelerometers provide a potential solution, they lack the necessary sensitivity, and their high-end alternatives are too expensive for mass production.
To address this, I propose a magnetically levitating accelerometer that leverages magnetic force to keep the proof mass in a highly sensitive floating state. This approach enables high-resolution motion detection while reducing power consumption and fabrication expenses. MAGLIFT will convert acceleration and position changes into electrical signals via a PCB-based sensing system, offering a compact, low-cost alternative to the state-of-the-art accelerometers.
Building on insights from the ERC Consolidator Grant NCANTO (101125458), which focuses on taming mechanical noise in nanomechanical systems, I realized that our state-of-the-art noise suppression and nonlinear dynamic optimization solutions can significantly enhance the performance of magnetically levitating mechanical objects. By integrating NCANTO’s dynamic range improvement and advanced noise reduction techniques, I aim to develop an accelerometer with record-breaking performance, ensuring precise, reliable navigation for autonomous vehicles. MAGLIFT will further evaluate market potential of this technology and benchmark it against existing solutions to determine the optimal strategy for market entry.
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-POC
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
2628 CN Delft
Netherlands
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.