Tag - INS

Inertial Labs Releases Affordable, Multi-GNSS Constellation, 1cm RTK Accuracy Dual-Antenna GPS-Aided INS

Inertial Labs, Inc., a developer and supplier of high performance Inertial Sensors and Systems, released an affordable, multi GNSS constellation, 1 cm RTK accuracy dual-antenna GPS-Aided Inertial Navigation System (INS).  

Affordable Dual-Antenna GPS-Aided INS

The INS-DL and the OEM version, INS-DL-OEM, are multi constellation -- GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, Beidou -- GPS-Aided INS that achieve 1 cm Position and 0.05° Heading, Pitch & Roll accuracy. These high precision and high-accuracy INS are affordably priced at around $5,000 USD. The INS-DL and INS-DL-OEM are compact and deliver high performance. They are designed for developers of autonomous and unmanned systems; vehicles and small robots for precision agriculture; payloads for remote sensing and survey applications. The INS-DL is available as a classic INS or as an advanced, GPS-aided Motion Reference Unit (MRU). As a classic INS, it outputs Position, Orientation and IMU data for real-time and post-processing operation. As an advanced, GPS-Aided MRU, it outputs Position, Velocity, Heading, Pitch, Roll, Heave, Surge, Sway and Significant Wave Height data for survey, hydrography, bathymetry and motion control. "GPS-Aided INS-DL is a result of significant efforts of our R&D team. It is a market oriented solution, geared towards applications, requiring the best combination of high performance and in a same time low cost " said Jamie Marraccini, Inertial Labs’ CEO and President.  

About Inertial Labs

This year, Inertial Labs celebrate its 17th anniversary as a developer and supplier of high quality inertial sensor based solutions for  land, marine and aerospace applications. Since 2001, thousands of inertial systems, as well as those fused with other technologies like optical, laser, and GNSS systems, were successfully delivered to our customers for AGV, UAV, AUV, UUV, robots, land vehicles etc.  

Shop Inertial Labs line of solutions at Unmanned Systems Source.

SBG Systems Announces the Release of the Ellipse 2 Micro Series

Recently, SBG Systems announced the releases the Ellipse 2 Micro Series. This new product line reduces the size and cost of high performance inertial sensors for volume projects. “With the Ellipse 2 Micro, integrators benefit from SBG Systems high expertise in motion sensing and positioning in the smallest package,” said Alexis Guinamard, CTO of SBG Systems. The new Ellipse 2 Micro is available as an IMU for calibrated sensor data, or as an AHRS/INS delivering accurate orientation and navigation using an external GNSS receiver.  

High Quality Micro IMU Calibrated from -40° to 85°C

Combining state-of-the-art MEMS-based gyroscopes, accelerometers, and magnetometers, it is establishing new standards in micro MEMS IMU accuracy and reliability. Following the extensive SBG production process, the Ellipse 2 Micro Series is fully calibrated in temperature. This calibration process eliminates measurement errors such as: sensor bias, gain, linearity, alignment, and g-sensitivity. As such, it provides a constant behavior in all conditions. Plus, the high-quality Ellipse 2 Micro benefits from a 2-year warranty.  

10 years of Filtering Embedded in the 10-gram Ellipse 2 Micro

SBG Systems has been manufacturing inertial sensors for more than 10 years. The company is especially recognized for the added value of the embedded algorithms. The R&D team continues to adjust motion profiles to platforms (UAV, car, vessels, etc.) and specific conditions (vibrations, high dynamics, low motion, etc.) to reach the highest reliability. Weighing only 10 grams, the Ellipse 2 Micro benefit from this high expertise. It provides a 0.1° accurate attitude and connects to external GNSS for navigation. It offers a remarkable weight/performance ratio to integrators.

Relying on the Ellipse 2 Micro When You Cannot Rely on GNSS

Ellipse 2 Micro Series provides excellent navigation data when connected to an external GNSS receiver. The cost-effective Ellipse2 Micro INS fuses in real-time inertial and GNSS information to maintain the vehicle position in air, marine, or in land applications. For automotive projects, the inertial sensor comes with CAN protocol and connects to odometer for an even higher performance in harsh environments (tunnel, urban canyons, etc.).  

Smallest Inertial Sensor to Provide Advanced Heave Feature

In addition, the Ellipse 2 Micro is the smallest sensor to provide Heave which automatically adjusts to the wave frequency. With accurate orientation, navigation, and heave features, Ellipse 2 Micro Series is a remarkable sensor for motion monitoring, wave measurement, stabilization and orientation of onboard equipment (camera, antennas, side-scan echo sounders, etc.).  

Ellipse 2 Micro Series Availability

All Ellipse 2 Micro models are now available for order. Product and pricing information is available from Unmanned Systems Source.

SBG Systems launches SBG +Services

SBG +ServicesSBG Systems recently announced the launch of SBG +Services. This suite of services is aimed to streamline and enhance utilization efficiency for various SBG inertial sensor users. Primarily geared towards system integrators, SBG +Services seeks to enhance utilization efficiency and provide solutions to common project challenges.  

SBG +Services suite

No matter the size of the budget, everyone wants to save time integrating new equipment into a system. As such, SBG Systems designed three different levels of service to help introduce an SBG inertial sensor to the product…and the team. The first is the +Online Initiation, a two-hour session with an SBG Support Engineer via remote-access software. Next is a +On Demand Training, this in-person training occurs either at the SBG office or at the customer’s location. Finally, +Intervention Day which is a pre-paid day for either training, installation, or on-site support. Find more information about the suite of SBG +Services, here.  

Certify sensor performance

SBG Systems factory calibrates every sensor in dynamics and temperature. A calibration report, certifying performance for three years arrives with the sensor. All SBG inertial sensors feature MEMS technology. This means that there is no need to periodically calibrate the sensors. Yet, some projects require certifications. The Check & Calibration service includes a quality check, a firmware update, cleaning, and, if required, calibration in temperature and dynamics. The certificate arrives with the sensor and guarantees the quality of the sensor data during three years.  

Continuous production

Professionals can face financial penalties if there is interruption in production. By selecting the +Back-Up System service, customers can access a replacement device in the event the original sensor requires factory services - both planned and unplanned.  

Secured budgets

All SBG inertial sensors – Eliipse, Ekinox, Apogee – come with a 2-year warranty. This warranty can extend up to 5 years.

VectorNav’s VN-200 aids in precision geo-pointing for miniature Epsilon series of gyro-stabilized gimbals

Octopus ISR Systems, a division of UAV Factory Ltd., announced the release of a new feature, "Precision Geo-Lock", for its miniature Epsilon series of gyro-stabilized gimbals. Precision Geo-Lock combines a state-of-the-art GPS-aided inertial navigation system (GPS/INS) with dedicated software algorithms and payload operator software. It provides the user with highly accurate target geo-location, range-to-target, as well as Geo-Lock functionality and moving map user interface.

Precision geo-location challenges

Equipping a miniature airborne gimbal with precision geo-location presents a multitude of challenges. First, the gimbal operates in a high vibration environment, high accelerations and extreme ranges in temperature. Also, unmanned aircraft often use miniature gyro-stabilized gimbals. Thus, small size and low power consumption are significant factors. “Traditionally, small gyro-stabilized gimbals use an external heading source to estimate the geo-location of the target,” stated UAV Factory CEO Konstantins Popiks. “Onboard the unmanned aircraft, the attitude data is usually supplied by an autopilot. The estimate accuracy is imprecise due to the nature of low-cost sensors used in miniature autopilots. Miniature autopilots simply do not need the precise heading data required by the gimbal. As a result, the heading error generates large geo-location errors and provides little to no use for the unmanned aircraft operator. Additional errors occur due to misalignment of the gimbal and autopilot; these are separate subsystems mounted in different locations on individual soft vibration mounts.” For the Geo-Lock feature to work, a highly accurate external GPS/INS  needed to be integrated into the system. “Today the state-of-the-art miniature gyro-stabilized gimbals have a narrow field of view of less than 1.3 degrees," said Popiks. "Therefore, pointing accuracy should be significantly better than 1.3° to prevent the target pointing location from going out of frame.”  

VectorNav VN-200

In order to guarantee the successful implementation of the Precision Geo-Lock feature, UAV Factory partnered with VectorNav Technologies. VectorNav develops and manufactures high performance inertial navigation systems using the latest in MEMS sensor and GPS/GNSS technology. “VectorNav’s VN-200 was the only product on the market that offered a high-level of performance but small enough form factor for direct integration into the optical bench of the gimbal” said Popiks. “When the product delivered that level of accuracy despite the high vibrations, accelerations and temperature fluctuations of our application the choice was obvious.” UAV Factory’s Precision Geo-Lock provides better than 0.3 degree accuracy and is ‘Plug-and-Play’. This allows the customer to install the Epsilon gimbal and get accurate results on any platform and in a high-vibration environment. Epsilon gyro-stabilized turrets will be available with VN-200 single GPS-based INS solution, as well as the VN-300 dual GPS-based INS. A single GPS/INS solution is suitable for dynamic platforms such as manned and unmanned aircraft. Dual GPS/INS is a necessity for platforms with low dynamics, such as aerostats, ships and helicopters. You can shop VectorNav's entire line of sensors at Unmanned Systems Source.

Introducing Ekinox 2 Series with attitude accuracy enhanced by a factor of two

Introducing Ekinox 2March 20, 2017 - SBG Systems will unveil the new Ekinox 2 Series this week during the U.S. Hydro Show, in Galveston, TX. The Ekinox 2 Series is a new generation of SBG's advanced line of tactical grade MEMS-based inertial navigation systems. It features new accelerometers and gyroscopes, enhancing Ekinox 2 attitude accuracy by a factor of two. In addition, Ekinox 2 is available as a drop-in replacement of the previous Ekinox, at the same price level. There is no need for any additional electrical or software integration. Find out more by reading the SBG product change notification.  

Enhanced Accuracy by Two

Released in 2013, Ekinox has achieved a remarkable success thanks to its smart balance of accuracy, price, and weight. Thanks to continuous innovation, SBG Systems offers a new generation twice more accurate in attitude, confirming its unmatched Performance/Price/Size ratio. This major improvement is due to a complete redesign of the in-house Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) integrating new cutting-edge gyroscopes and accelerometers.  

Suited for Demanding Applications

With higher accuracy for the same form factor and price level, Ekinox 2 Series is the best choice for industrial-grade vehicle navigation, equipment motion compensation, and data georeferencing. This new generation provides 0.02° roll and pitch, 0.05° heading, and a centimeter-level position. It is ideal for demanding application such as hydrography, mobile mapping, antenna tracking, etc. With new accelerometers, this new generation has also significantly improved its resistance to vibration. Finally, the addition of the Beidou constellation improves signal availability in Asia.  

Easy Installation and Configuration

Compact and light-weight, the Ekinox Series is designed to simplify installation operations. Ekinox 2 also provides for easy integration; the intuitive embedded web interface displays all the parameters for quick adjustment. For example, you can choose your profile (Vessel, Plane, Car, etc.) and the 3D view will provide a visualization of settings such as the sensor position, alignment, lever arms, etc.  

Available Q2

Ekinox 2 Series is ITAR Free. The product line will be available during the second quarter of 2017. Unmanned Systems Source is pleased to carry SBG Systems' line of sensors. For more information about the upcoming release of Ekinox 2 series or to find out how to upgrade your current Exinox sensor, contact us.

Inertial Labs’ line of sensors arrive at Unmanned Systems Source

Inertial Labs’ AHRS, INS product addition expands offering at USS Inertial_Labs_news November 30, 2015 – A new line of compact, high-accuracy, low-power consumption inertial orientation and navigation sensors and systems are now available at Unmanned Systems Source thanks to a distribution agreement with Inertial Labs, Inc. The Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS), Motion Reference Units (MRU), GPS-Aided Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), and the High Performance Miniature Orientation Sensors (OS3D-FG) join the growing line offered at Unmanned Systems Source -- which currently includes SBG, Septentrio and VectorNav. “Inertial Labs’ sensors and systems are exactly what UAS manufacturers and developers are looking to integrate into their applications – they are small, lightweight and affordably priced. 1 cm horizontal position, 5% Heave and 0.1 deg Heading, Pitch & Roll orientation accuracy is absolutely great performance for UAV, AUV, ROV, UUV, and other unmanned systems,” said Jennifer Jerrick, President of Unmanned Systems Source. Inertial Labs, Inc. designs, develops and manufactures position and orientation tracking systems based on the combination of inertial sensors with a variety of other sensing technologies. The products listed through Unmanned Systems Source will focus primarily on UAV and remote sensing applications. Inertial Labs also provides product design customization services and adjustment of algorithms according to customers needs and requirements. Visit Unmanned Systems Source today to shop Inertial Labs UAV-focused line of sensors. The helpful and friendly staff at Unmanned Systems Source is also happy to provide free quotes for any product listed on the site.  

About Unmanned Systems Source

Headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, Unmanned Systems Source is an online, e-commerce warehouse with the fastest growing selection of unmanned components, parts and remote sensing systems available today. It is a single source of supply and information and serves commercial, governmental and public sectors.