Improvement of the Accuracy of the Orientation of an Object by Using a Pair of Rotating IMS

Abstract

Inertial measurement systems (IMS) belong among navigation systems which permit the monitoring of the position and orientation of an object in three-dimensional space. The functional principle of IMS is based on the integration of the output signal (acceleration and angular rate) of inertial sensors to the actual position and orientation of IMS. This integration causes the rapid accumulation of systematic IMS’s errors, which leads to a rapid increase in position and orientation errors over time. The paper deals with the design of a prototype for a pair of lowcost IMSs, which are regularly rotated around their vertical axis by stepper motors. To eliminate the systematic errors of gyroscopes in the direction of the rotation axis, two counter-rotating IMSs are used. An optimal model of the data processing was developed and presented.

Keywords

• Controlled rotation
• IMS
• Gyroscope
• Systematic error
• Elimination
• Base.