SELF-LOCATING COMPASS

1 . A device for measuring velocity comprising:

at least one sensing unit, wherein the at least one sensing unit comprises a first loop and a second loop; and

an energy source operable to provide a bias current;

wherein the first loop comprises a sensing element connected to the energy source, wherein the sensing element is operable to carry the bias current;

wherein the second loop comprises a first conductor connected between a first side of the sensing element and a measurement circuit;

wherein the measurement circuit is further connected to a second conductor connected to a second side of the sensing element;

wherein the second loop is operable to determine a potential based on deflection of the bias current; and

wherein a magnetic velocity is calculated based on the potential.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the measurement circuit comprises a connection to an amplifier, wherein the amplifier is further connected to an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, wherein the A/D converter is further connected to the output of the measurement circuit.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the second loop is at least one of an optoelectronic type or an inductive type.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensing element is formed from a material having a slow charge relaxation rate.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensing element has a length to width ratio greater than 1:1.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are formed of a fast-relaxing material.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the measurement circuit includes a temperature compensation unit.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensing element comprises a source type connection to the energy source and sink type connections at the first end and the second end.

9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensing unit comprises a plurality of sensing units, wherein at least two sensing units of the plurality of sensing units are in a non-parallel arrangement.

10 . A device for measuring velocity comprising:

at least one sensing unit, wherein the at least one sensing unit comprises a first loop and a second loop; and

wherein the first loop comprises a sensing element operable to carry a bias current from an energy source;

wherein the second loop comprises a first conductor connected between the sensing element and a measurement circuit;

wherein the measurement circuit is further connected to a second conductor connected to the sensing element;

wherein the second loop is operable to determine a potential based on deflection of the bias current; and

wherein the potential is used to calculate a velocity.

11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are formed of a fast-relaxing material.

12 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the measurement circuit comprises an input connected to an amplifier, wherein the amplifier is further connected to an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, wherein the A/D converter is further connected to the output of the measurement circuit.

13 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the second loop is of an optoelectronic type.

14 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the sensing element is formed from a material having a slow charge relaxation rate.

15 . A method of determining velocity comprising:

a power source providing a bias current in a sensing element of at least one sensing unit, wherein the at least one sensing unit comprises a first loop and a second loop;

detecting and measuring deflection of the bias current;

determining a potential based on the deflection; and

calculating a velocity using the potential;

wherein the second loop comprises a first conductor connected between the sensing element and a measurement circuit; and

wherein the measurement circuit is further connected to a second conductor connected to the sensing element.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the measuring of the deflection comprises amplifying the potential to provide an amplified signal, converting the amplified signal to a digital signal, and providing the digital signal to a processor for processing to provide the calculated velocity.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further including adjusting an orientation of the sensing element with respect to the magnetic field to alter coupling to the magnetic field.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further including adjusting the bias current to provide desirable magnitude of the deflection.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further including converting the velocity to velocity-over-ground by normalizing the velocity for local field strength to form a normalized velocity and projecting the normalized velocity on a horizontal.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the calculating of the velocity comprises temperature compensation.