Any moving vessel, whether piloted by a human or an automotive electronics system, depends on three important factors: precision, speed, and balance. This is especially true for complex vehicles such as autonomous vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles. You need an inertial navigation system that provides flawless navigation, even when conditions are not perfect. Read on to discover four interesting facts about inertial navigation systems that you may not have known yet.

_{How does an inertial navigation system work?}

What makes INS such a useful navigation solution is that it can assist in flying without the need for GPS technology. A GPS or operator is required to set the vehicle’s initial position, speed, and orientation. From there, however, the INS system can provide precise navigation without the help of GPS.

Inertial navigation systems calculate position, velocity, and other elements of motion by using accelerometers and gyroscopes. As the aircraft continues to follow its path, the INS device will continuously calculate and update all elements of motion with information received from the motion sensors.

_{INS components}

As mentioned above, the INS system is mainly composed of accelerometers and gyroscopes, as well as microcomputers that process information in real-time. Gyroscopes measure the angular velocity of the sensor frame relative to an inertial frame of reference, and accelerometers capture information about the velocity and direction of acceleration.

At the heart of every inertial navigation system is an IMU, or inertial measurement unit, which integrates accelerometers and gyroscopes. Some IMUs are also equipped with a magnetometer for enhanced functionality. The microcomputer uses all these components to gather information and then calculate the vehicle’s current position.

_{INS and GPS}

GPS technology is a navigation system driven by satellite transmission and ground control components. These systems provide precise data on geographic location, time, speed, and other information on all modes of travel. However, they require a constant connection to the satellite system to provide accurate navigation. Inertial navigation systems are fully autonomous after initialization, which means they do not need to rely on GPS, and because they are independent, they are immune to radar jamming.

_{Advantages of the INS navigation system}

Since INS technology is resistant to jamming and spoofing, it is the perfect solution for complex operations on land, sea, air, and space. Recent advances in inertial navigation systems include powerful IMUs and precise data packaged in lightweight devices. On the other hand, IMUs still face certain challenges, such as calculation errors becoming more prominent with each new position calculation. This is why inertial navigation systems work best when paired with other navigation systems that can correct the calculated vehicle position from time to time, such as GPS.

Jimi UBI inertial navigation modules complement each other’s strengths by combining inertial and satellite navigation systems. The combined navigation system provides more accurate speed and direction information than pure inertial guidance or pure satellite navigation, especially in situations such as garages or tunnels, in addition to providing higher accuracy positioning information for longer periods of time. Besides, the positioning information output from the combined navigation can suppress drift, making the vehicle positioning more ideal.

Moreover, through technology upgrades, Jimi UBI inertial navigation module using pure inertial navigation technology can also be used to locate the vehicle with high accuracy for a longer period of time alone. Different from the traditional OBD, through the Jimi inertial navigation module, the intelligent terminal does not need to obtain the speed information output from the vehicle’s trip computer, relying on the powerful adaptive ability and super algorithm of the inertial navigation module, it can also output the precise positioning point. In contrast, the intelligent devices that join the module only take power from the OBD port, which will not interfere with the car itself, and the safety and adaptability of the vehicle is higher.

At present, according to the positioning effect of the garage and tunnel, the positioning error rate of this module developed by JimiIoT is about 1-2%, and this positioning accuracy is at the forefront in the world under similar technology without vehicle speed inertial guidance.

With powerful functions, several meters UBI inertial guidance module has rich application scenarios. In the UBI auto insurance industry, it can obtain driver driving behavior data as a basis for adjusting auto insurance premiums. In fleet management, it can grasp vehicle trajectory information in real-time to help with fleet monitoring and management. In vehicle leasing, high-precision vehicle location information improves accurate billing capability. In the daily underground parking problem, accurate navigation of parking spaces enables users to park underground without anxiety.

_{About Us}

Jimi loT aims to provide customers with innovative, mutually beneficial, safe, and efficient international intelligent hardware and IoT solutions. At present, our products have been sold to more than 130 countries, with an annual shipment of 6 million units. The volume reaches 10 million units, and we have set up service centers and marketing centers in many countries to provide customized services for the local market and build an international marketing and service network covering the world. JimiloT shoulders the mission of “making connections easier”, and is constantly striving to realize the vision of becoming a continuous leader in IoT enterprises.

If you need or want to know about Jimi IoT, please click here to contact us, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, INS