Inertial Labs has released a new generation of GPS-aided inertial navigation systems (INS) for applications such as UAVs, helicopters and lidar surveys.

The company also has released two new inertial measurement units (IMUs) for measuring angular rates and accelerations for motionless and dynamic applications.

INS-DH-OEM

The INS-DH-OEM. (Photo: Inertial Labs)

The high-accuracy INS-DH-OEM is designed for easy integration into custom enclosures and higher order integrated system applications. It combines the Honeywell HG4930 inertial measurement unit (IMU) into a GPS-aided INS to provide high-accuracy orientation, position, velocity and timing for land and aerial systems.

Consisting of three axes each of high-precision accelerometers and gyroscopes, the accuracy of the HG4930 plays a key role in the exceptional performance of the INS-DH-OEM. With input from the IMU, the INS-DH-OEM has a pitch-and-roll accuracy of 0.015 degrees real-mean-squared (RMS) for dynamic applications, and a pitch-and-roll accuracy of 0.01 degrees for motionless applications.

Another key factor for the INS-DH-OEM is its use of the NovAtel OEM7720 dual-antenna GNSS receiver. The OEM7720 is an all-constellation, multi-frequency heading and positioning solution with TerraStar PPP correction services and advanced interference mitigation features.

With aiding data from the OEM7720, the INS-DH-OEM features a 2-meter baseline heading accuracy of 0.05 degrees RMS for both static and dynamic applications. As a result, the INS-DH-OEM is a high-performance solution in line-of-sight and beyond line-of-sight antenna-pointing applications.

A reliable solution in varying environments, the OEM7720 ensures that the INS-DH-OEM is outputting the most accurate GNSS-aided data by supporting GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, NavIC (IRNSS), and QZSS constellations.

The INS-DH-OEM can be applied in a wide range of aerial applications such as remote sensing, flight control and photogrammetry in which the INS-DH-OEM provides accurate positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) data for multi-rotor drones, fixed-wing drones and other UAVs performing these tasks. This data is paramount in the accuracy of these applications’ deliverables such as point clouds, orthomosaics and photogrammetric plots.

Weighing 280 grams and measuring 85.7 x 62.5 x 52.0 mm, the INS-DH-OEM is a lightweight, compact system that can be fitted with custom enclosures or integrated into higher order systems such as lidar payloads. It is compatible with scanners from many lidar manufacturers: Livox, Velodyne, Ouster and Quanergy. This adaptability, coupled with top-of-the-line subcomponents and Inertial Labs’ sensor-fusion expertise, make the INS-DH-OEM the suitable for UAVs, UGVs, antenna pointing, and many more applications.

INS-U

The INS-U. (Photo: Inertial Labs)

The new INS-U GPS-aided INS with air data computer (ADC) output signal is based on a u-blox module.

The INS-U a fully integrated INS, attitude and heading reference system (AHRS), IMU and air data computer high-performance strapdown system that determines position, navigation and timing information for any device on which it is mounted.

The INS-U utilizes a single antenna, multi-constellation U-Blox GNSS receiver. With access to GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou, the INS-U can be used in a variety of GPS-enabled environments and is protected against spoofing and jamming. Additionally, the INS-U is comprised of two barometers, a miniature gyro-compensated fluxgate compass, and tri-axis temperature calibrated advanced MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes. These high-performance sensors, along with Inertial Labs’ new on-board sensor fusion filter, state of the art guidance and navigation algorithms, provide accurate position, velocity, and orientation of the device under measure.

Perhaps the most defining feature of the INS-U is its embedded ADC. An essential avionics component for modern UAV applications, an ADC outputs static & dynamic pressure, pressure altitude, calibrated & true airspeed, true angle of attack, rate of climb, and wind speed of the device under measure. This data, combined with inertial reference information, provides UAVs with accurate information about the unit and its relation to its environment.

By using data from an INS, AHRS, IMU and ADC, the INS-U provides a complete navigation solution for UAV and Helicopter applications. The unit can use time-of-flight aiding data from a ground station for long term GNSS-denied conditions as well as external position and heading so it can still output accurate PNT information regardless of the environment.

The INS-U is a lightweight and compact solution with dimensions of 82 x 40 x 26 mm and a weight of less than 200 grams. This, along with an IP67 environmental enclosure, ensures that the INS-U can meet the environmental requirements and size and weight restrictions of a wide range of applications.

IMU-NAV-100

The IMU-NAV-100. (Photo: Inertial Labs)

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