Abstract: An instrument which performs with precision either as a pickoff or torquer and which is not subject to geometrical errors due to the electrodes going out of round. The pickoff electrodes of the instrument are mounted adjacent the end of the movable element instead of being concentric to it. Because of the location of the pickoff electrodes relative to the movable element, the device is a variable area pickoff rather than a variable gap pickoff. This provides the advantages of obtaining outputs from the X and Y axes which are a linear function of the motion of the movable element and, therefore, the displacement angle, as determined by the ratio of X and Y outputs, is independent of the amplitude of motion.

Abstract: A two-axis rate gyroscope of the captured type is provided having a cylindrical rotor with one or more inwardly projecting flanges. The rotor is disposed within a sealed toroidal cavity in a rotor housing and the interior of the cavity is evacuated to a "hard" vacuum. An electrostatic suspension system restrains the rotor from translatory movement along the gyroscope spin axis and two axes perpendicular thereto so that a virtually frictionless spin bearing is provided for the rotor. The suspension system functions to prevent relative angular rotation between the rotor and the rotor housing about two precession axes. The rotor housing is mounted on a flexure joint which prevents translatory movement of the housing along three orthogonal axes but permits rotational movement of the housing about the two precession axes.