Abstract: An angular rate sensor has a ring, a plurality of sensor-drivers, circuitry, a controller, an energy sensor, and an output signal generator. The sensors-drivers may be capacitors, inductors, or a sensor having a piezoelectric material. The sensor-drivers each have a component that vibrates along with the ring, and the sensor-drivers are arranged in cooperating sets, each cooperating set having two sensor-drivers positioned 180° apart. The circuitry can selectively engage some of the cooperating sets as sensors and others of the cooperating sets as drivers. Those sets used as sensors sense motion of the ring. Those sets used as drivers apply forces to the ring. Some of the drivers cause the ring to vibrate at its natural frequency, and some of the drivers seek to inhibit motion of the ring at particular locations. Locations at which drivers seek to inhibit motion are those locations that would be nodes in the absence of angular motion.

Abstract: An angular rate sensor has a ring, a plurality of sensor-drivers, circuitry, a controller, an energy sensor, and an output signal generator. The sensors-drivers may be capacitors, inductors, or a sensor having a piezoelectric material. The sensor-drivers each have a component that vibrates along with the ring, and the sensor-drivers are arranged in cooperating sets, each cooperating set having two sensor-drivers positioned 180° apart. The circuitry can selectively engage some of the cooperating sets as sensors and others of the cooperating sets as drivers. Those sets used as sensors sense motion of the ring. Those sets used as drivers apply forces to the ring. Some of the drivers cause the ring to vibrate at its natural frequency, and some of the drivers seek to inhibit motion of the ring at particular locations. Locations at which drivers seek to inhibit motion are those locations that would be nodes in the absence of angular motion.