Concern CSRI Elektropribor is one of the leading national institutions in the field of high-precision instrument and navigation. Concern has been cooperation with University ITMO for many years. Thus, since 1992 to till now, the ITMO University Department of Information and Navigation Systems, one of the oldest departments in the University, is headed by Professor Vladimir Peshekhonov, the CEO of the Concern CSRI Elektropribor. The Department is based on the enterprise and prepares specialists for work in the research institute. The history of the Concern partnership with the ITMO University Institute of Light Guide Photonics started about eight years ago: that time, the work on the creation of high-precision fiber optic gyroscopes has already been in process. By 2015, the laboratory was modernized.
 
In particular, according to Andrei Kulikov, the Associate Professor and the head of the ITMO University Laboratory of Light Guide Photonics, a new round of development of the production laboratory was driven by the newly installed tower for drawing optical fiber.
"Due to this tower, it is possible now to perform a complete production cycle of FOG in the laboratory. Earlier we purchased fiber and worked with the ready product, but the leadership has realized that production of own fiber is not only beneficial, but also safer: the competence of the laboratory employees is the guarantee of product quality, which is going to be the gyroscope basis. For the unique setting, a special high-class purity room was built. We also consider the purchase of the second production tower”, he said.
 
Currently, laboratory created on the basis of the CSRI Elektropribor, is engaged in the production of optic fiber gyroscopes of navigation accuracy: their measurement error of angular velocity is 0.01 and 0.001 degrees per hour.
 
The CSRI Elektropribor laboratory employees makes a special birefringent fiber with an elliptical prestressing shell; properties of this fiber exceed the competitors quality characteristics. Technology of this fiber production was developed by a team of the Institute of Light Guide Photonics. Currently, optical fiber drawing tower is used exclusively by employees or graduates of the University ITMO.
 
The next step after fiber production is its winding on the spool. In this concern, the laboratory staff  have developed a machine for quadrupole winding of sensitive circuits for FOG. This technology makes it possible to minimize the impact of environmental factors on the optic fiber gyroscope. Andrey Kulikov noted, that the winding process is quite long, what is why two machines that work automatically due to software developed by ITMO University employees, were created.
 
Another important technology in the FOG production chain is docking of integrated optical circuits with birefringent fibers. This technology is the most difficult because laboratory employees have to match the optical fiber birefringence axes and integrated-optical circuit axes with high accuracy. This process is carried out manually.
"There is a test center at the enterprise which is one of the best in Russia. It is possible to check fiber quality and FOG operation, although, gyroscopes are not the final product. The final product is a strapdown inertial navigation system, which consists of three fiber optic gyroscopes and three accelerometers. Such systems can be put on ships and submarines, airplanes and large special-purpose machines”, Andrey Kulikov explained.
According to the head of the Institute of Light Guide Photonics laboratory, a "hundred" gyroscope is already produced in Russia, but the "thousandth" gyroscope (FOG with an accuracy of 0.001 degrees per hour) is a completely new product that our country was first announced by the Central Research Institute Elektropribor. Now, the most accurate existing gyroscope is assembled and being tested.
 
The Institute of Light Guide Photonics employees claim to technological leadership in the industry, not only in Russia but also in the world. Today, ITMO University members develop Bragg gratings technology. It is projected that they will be recorded in the process of the optical fiber drawing. Among other things, some high-tech acoustic instruments are created on the base of the CSRI Elektropribor. In the future, according to Andrey Kulikov, it is expected to create the equipment not only for water but also for land and air modes of transportation.