In-Field Calibration of Triaxial Accelerometer Based on Beetle Swarm Antenna Search Algorithm

Abstract

Traditional calibration method is usually performed with expensive equipments such as three-axis turntable in a laboratory environment. However in practice, in order to ensure the accuracy and stability of the inertial navigation system (INS), it is usually necessary to recalibrate the inertial measurement unit (IMU) without external equipment in the field. In this paper, a new in-field recalibration method for triaxial accelerometer based on beetle swarm antenna search (BSAS) algorithm is proposed. Firstly, as a new intelligent optimization algorithm, BSAS algorithm and its improvements based on basic beetle antennae search (BAS) algorithm are introduced in detail. Secondly, the nonlinear mathematical model of triaxial accelerometer is established for higher calibration accuracy, and then 24 optimal measurement positions are designed by theoretical analysis. In addition, the calibration procedures are improved according to the characteristics of BSAS algorithm, then 15 calibration parameters in the nonlinear method are optimized by BSAS algorithm. Besides, the results of BSAS algorithm and basic BAS algorithm are compared by simulation, which shows the priority of BSAS algorithm in calibration field. Finally, two experiments demonstrate that the proposed method can achieve high precision in-field calibration without any external equipment, and meet the accuracy requirements of the INS.

Keywords

• calibration
• inertial measurement unit
• triaxial accelerometer
• intelligent optimization algorithm
• beetle swarm antenna search algorithm