A new method for estimating the weight of very heavy objects

Author

Gray, Steven D. ; Parmentola, John A.

Author_Institution

Mitre Corp., Bedford, MA, USA

Volume

2

fYear

1994

fDate

31 Oct-2 Nov 1994

Firstpage

755

Abstract

We propose and study a new technique for estimating the weight of very heavy objects. This new technique is based on measurements made by a device, a gravity gradiometer, that is capable of measuring subtle changes in the gravitational field produced by an object with respect to distance. The physical observables, known as gravity gradients, depend upon the mass density distribution of an object and the relative distance between the object and the measurement device. We show that for very heavy objects gravity gradient measurements can be used to form least squares estimates for the object´s mass. This technology is potentially important in the implementation of arms control agreements or for application in the transportation industry

Keywords

gravimeters; least squares approximations; military equipment; transportation; weighing; arms control agreements; distance; gravitational field changes measurement; gravity gradients; gravity gradiometer; least squares estimates; linear least squares estimate; mass density distribution; measurement device; transportation industry; very heavy objects; weight estimation; Arm; Axles; Control systems; Defense industry; Density measurement; Gravity; Least squares approximation; Noise measurement; Vehicle dynamics; Weight measurement;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Signals, Systems and Computers, 1994. 1994 Conference Record of the Twenty-Eighth Asilomar Conference on

Conference_Location

Pacific Grove, CA

ISSN

1058-6393

Print_ISBN

0-8186-6405-3

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/ACSSC.1994.471563

Filename

471563