What is an INS?

INS:

Position (dead reckoning)
Inertial Navigation Systems
Orientation (roll, pitch, yaw)

Velocities
An overview of 4 sensors
Accelerations

Sampling of INS Applications Accelerometers

Accelerometers Accelerometers

F = ma
C = ε0A/d
(Newton’s 2nd Law) (parallel-plate capacitor)

ε0 = permitivity constant

Fixed
Q = CV
fingers
d2 d1
F = kx Fixed
fingers
Moving d2 d1
finger (Hooke’s Law)
Voltage
Capacitance
Surface Area
Moving
finger


and distance Spring displacement

Proof
Mass
Force
Acceleration Proof
Mass

Integrate to get velocity and displacement

Suspension
Suspension Springs
Springs

1
 Gyroscopes Gyroscopes
How does it maintain angular orientation?

Disk on an axis Disk stationary Disk rotating

Red pen indicates applied force

Gyroscopes – Precession Gyroscopes – Gimbaled

Rotor Axle wants to keep pointing in the same
direction

Mounting in a set of gimbals allows us to measure
the rotation of the body

As green force is applied to These points rotate and

axis of rotation, red points continue to want to move in
will attempt to move in blue the same direction causing
directions precession
Rotating around red axis, apply a moment around axis coming out of paper on red axis

Gyroscopes – MEMS Gyroscopes – MEMS

Comb drive fingers can be actuated by applying

Coriolis effect – “fictitious voltage
force” that acts upon a freely
Coriolis effect induces motion based on rotation
moving object as observed from a
Capacitive sensors (similar to accelerometers)
rotating frame of reference detect the magnitude of this effect and therefore the
rotation

Vibrating Ring Gyroscope

Tuning Fork Gyroscope

2
 Fiber Optic Gyroscope (FOG) GPS – Global Positioning System

Constellation 27 satellites in orbit

Originally developed by U.S. military

Accuracy ~ 10 m

3D Trilateration

DSP 4000
ω = attitude rate, 1 = laser light
source, 2 = beamsplitter, 3 = turret, antenna, and optical stabilization systems
wound optical fiber, 4 =
photosensor.

GPS – 2D Trilateration GPS – 3D Trilateration

Location of at least three satellites
(typically 4 or more)

Distance between receiver and

A each of those satellites
50 mi B
75 mi
Psudo-random code is sent via
radio waves from satellite and
receiver

C
Since speed of radio signal is

You are here
30 mi known, the lag time determines
distance

GPS – Improvements GPS – Improvements

Some sources of error

WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System)

Earth’s atmosphere slows down signal
Similar to DGPS

Radio signal can bounce off large objects
Geosynchronous Earth Orbiting satellites

Misreporting of satellite location instead of land based stations

Accuracy ~ 3 m

Differential GPS (DGPS)

Station with known location calculates receiver’s inaccuracy

Broadcasts signal correction information

Accuracy ~ 10 m

3
Encoders Encoders – Incremental

Photodetector

Encoder disk

LED Photoemitter

Encoders - Incremental Encoders - Incremental

Quadrature (resolution enhancing)

Encoders - Absolute Pros and Cons

 More expensive Pros Cons
 Resolution = 360° / 2 N

where N is number of tracks Accelerometer Inexpensive, Integration drift

small error
Gyroscope Large selection Integration drift
4 Bit Example error
GPS No drift Data at 1 Hz

Encoders Inexpensive Slip