Benefits of INS/GPS

Integration
Douglas Aguilar
Marcin Kolodziejczak
 INS Defined
• An inertial navigation system is a
navigation aid that uses motion sensors to
continuously track the position, orientation,
and velocity (direction and speed of
movement) of a vehicle without the need
for external references
– Initial position and velocity must be provided
before computing its own position and velocity
by integrating information from sensors
 Applications
Aerial Surveying

The Northrop Grumman Navigation Systems Division (NSD) LN-260 is

a Form, Fit, and Function replacement INS/GPS for the F-16.
 Strapdown Inertial System
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• Sensors mounted into device

• Output quantities measured in body frame
 INS/GPS Advantage
• INS
– Integration of data results in long-wavelength errors
• GPS
– low data output rate in receivers, difficult to maintain
accuracy at the centimeter level resulting in short-
wavelength errors
• Benefits
– Precise continuous positioning of a moving platform
– INS complements GPS, aids in positioning solution in
events of cycle slips and signal losses
 Tight vs Loose Integration
• Single blended navigation solution from
pseudorange, pseudorange rate,
accelerations, gyro measurements gives
more accurate solution than loosely
coupled system

• Tightly integrated system continues to

extract info from GNSS receiver even
when fewer than 4 satellites are visible
 Loosely Coupled INS
• The MIDG II is a loosely coupled system
Tight Integration
 MEMS
• Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)
– Built using silicon micro-machining techniques
– Uses Coriolis effect using vibrating elements
• Fc -Force m -mass w -angular velocity v –velocity

• Advantages
– Small size, low weight, low power, inexpensive to produce
• Disadvantages
– MEMS less accurate than fiber-optic based or ring laser gyros
– Complex algorithms needed to generate solutions
– Loses accuracy quickly due to bias drift characteristics
MEMS Gyroscope
 MIDG Operation Modes
• Vertical Gyro (VG) mode
– Data from rate sensors is
used for attitude estimation

• IMU mode provides calibrated

values for:
– Angular rate
– Acceleration
– Magnetic field
– Position and velocity
available directly from GPS
receiver only up to 5Hz
 MIDG Info

• Drift in position after GPS signal

– Position accuracy degrades according to*:
• HPacc = 0.1*T^2 + 2
– T (time) is in seconds
– HPacc (horizontal position accuracy) is in meters

– The HPacc equation represents a very basic curve fit of typical

MIDG II accuracy estimate (1 sigma, conservative) based on
collected data from several trials in which GPS was lost and the
INS continued to estimate position without position
measurements from GPS.

*Based on data analysis from Microbotics

 Mobile GPS Laboratory

3-Axis Rate Gyro

3-Axis Accelerometer
3-Axis Magnetometer
Data from 1181-1283 sec.

22sec
Nav vs GPS Delta X
Nav vs GPS Delta Y
Delta from 17-62 sec.
Delta from 134-164 sec.
Delta’s from Rondo
 Conclusions
• INS solution valid for about 20 seconds
during GPS outages
• INS + GPS did not significantly improve
accuracy using the MIDG-INS
• Y-axis for Nav was closer to kinematic
solution than X-axis data
• Data during GPS outage followed
theoretical trend
 References
Inside GNSS Magazine
• Jan/Feb 2007, GNSS solutions, “What is the difference between ‘lose’, ‘tight’, ‘ultra-tight’ and ‘deep’ integration strategies for INS and
GNSS?”
• Jan/Feb 2008, GNSS solutions, “MEMS and Platform Orientation & Deep Integration of GNSS/Intertial Systems.”

Research Papers
• Juan A. Fernandez-Rubio, “Performance Analysis of an INS/GPS Integrated System Augmented with EGNOS.” Universitat Politecnica de
Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain 2004.
• Vikas Kumar, “Integration of Inertial Navigation System and Global Positioning System Using Kalman Filtering.” Indian Institute of
Technology, Bombay, Mumbai. July 2004
• Salah Sukkarieh, “Low Cost, High Integrity, Aided Inertial Navigation Systems for Autonomous Land Vehicles.” Department of Mechanical
and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Sydney. March 2000
• Erik A. Wan, “Sigma-Point Kalman Filter based Integrated Navigation Systems.” OGI School of Science and Engineering at OHSU
• Christopher Hide, Terry Moore, “GPS and Low Cost INS Integration for Positioning in the Urban Environment.” University of Nottingham
• Kevin J. Walchko, Michael C. Nechyba, Eric Schwartz, Antonio Arroyo, “ Embedded Low Cost Intertial Navigation System.” University of
Florida
• Oliver J Woodman, “An Introduction to Inertial Navigation.” University of Cambridge. August 2007
• Isaac Skog and Peter Handel, “A Low-cost GPS Aided Inertial Navigation System for Vehicle Applications.” KTH Signals, Sensors and
Systems, Royal Institute of Technology. Sweden
• Mensur Omerbashich, “Integrated INS/GPS Navigation from a Popular Perspective.” University of New Brunswick. Canada. Journal of Air
Transportation Vol. 7, No. 1 2002
• Michael Cramer, “GPS/INS Integration.” http://www.ifp.uni-stuttgart.de/publications/phowo97/cramer.pdf
• John L. Crassidis, “Sigma-Point Kalman Filtering for Integrated GPS and Inertial Navigation.” University of Buffalo, State Univ. of New
• York.
Books
• Christopher Jekeli, ‘Inertial Navigation Systems with Geodetic Applications.’ Walter de Gruyter, New York. 2001
• Paul Zarchan, ‘Global Positioning System: Theory and Applications Volumes I and II’’ AIAA,1996
 Backup Slides
• Additional Information
 MIDG Output
• Source
• Column Packet Description
• ------ ------ -----------
• 1 STATUS status word
• 2 STATUS temperature (0.01 deg C)
• 3 NAV_SENSOR Time (ms)
• 4-6 NAV_SENSOR p,q,r angular rates (0.01 deg/s)
• 7-9 NAV_SENSOR ax,ay,az accelerations (mili-g)
• 10-12 NAV_SENSOR yaw,pitch,roll (0.01 deg)
• 13 NAV_SENSOR flags
• 14 (NAV_PV) boolean: NAV_PV data updated
• 15-17 NAV_PV Position (as defined in NAV_PV Details)
• 18-20 NAV_PV Velocity (as defined in NAV_PV Details)
• 21 NAV_PV Details
• 22 (NAV_ACC) boolean: NAV_ACC data updated
• 23-24 NAV_ACC H/V Position accuracy estimate (cm)
• 25-26 NAV_ACC H/V Velocity accuracy estimate (cm/s)
• 27 NAV_ACC Tilt accuracy estimate (0.01 deg)
• 28 NAV_ACC Heading accuracy estimate (0.01 deg)
• 29 NAV_ACC flags
• 30 (GPS_PV) boolean: GPS_PV data updated
• 31 GPS_PV Time (ms)
• 32 GPS_PV GPS Week
• 33 GPS_PV Details
• 34-36 GPS_PV Position (as defined by GPS_PV Details)
• 37-39 GPS_PV Velocity (as defined by GPS_PV Details)
• 40 GPS_PV PDOP (0.01 scaling)
• 41 GPS_PV PAcc (cm)
• 42 GPS_PV VAcc (cm/s)
MIDG Specifications
MIDG Specifications
MEMs Gyro Errors
MEMs Accelerometer Errors
MEMS Structure
• MEMS less accurate than
fiber-optic based or ring laser
gyros
• Filters and extra sensors can
aid in accuracy
• Complex algorithms needed to
generate solutions
• Losses accuracy quickly due
to bias drift characteristics

• AHRS-Attitude and heading

reference system
 MIDG Performance
• GPS outages or signal degradation 1-3
satellites

– The MIDG continues to provide position and

velocity updates during GPS outages for a
period of about 30 seconds*. After that, the
MIDG reverts to a vertical gyro mode in which
only the attitude, rates, and accelerations are
provided*
*statement from Microbotics
 MIDG Info
• The MIDG II is "Differential Ready GPS" what
does that mean and how would we use this
feature? Additionally, there is no mention of
WAAS in the "MIDG II Operating Modes"
description, how (or when) is this feature
activated?
– The MIDG II supports both satellite based differential
corrections (WAAS, EGNOS) and local RTCM
corrections. If WAAS satellites are within view, their
signal will be used to provide differential corrections.
• Position accuracy without WAAS/EGNOS is 5-7m
CEP and 2m CEP with WAAS/EGNOS
(theoretically)
 MIDG Info
• The GPS receiver in the MIDG II is a 16
channel receiver.
• Kalman filter has more than 16 inputs
 MIDG Specification

(0.055m/s)
RT 3100 Position Performance