1

8aslc rlnclples of lnerLlal

navlgaLlon
Semlnar on lnerLlal navlgaLlon
sysLems
1ampere unlverslLy of 1echnology
2
1he flve baslc forms of navlgaLlon
! !"#$%&'(, whlch essenLlally relles on recognlzlng landmarks Lo know
where you are. lL ls older Lhan human klnd.
! )(&* ,(-.$/"/', whlch relles on knowlng where you sLarLed from
plus some form of headlng lnformaLlon and some esLlmaLe of speed.
! 0(#(1%"&# /&2"'&%"$/, uslng Llme and Lhe angles beLween local verLlcal
and known celesLlal ob[ecLs (e.g., sun, moon, or sLars).
! 3&*"$ /&2"'&%"$/, whlch relles on radlo-frequency sources wlLh
known locaLlons (lncludlng CnSS saLelllLes, LC8An-C, Cmega, 1acan,
uS Army oslLlon LocaLlon and 8eporLlng SysLem.)
! 4/(,%"&# /&2"'&%"$/, whlch relles on knowlng your lnlLlal poslLlon,
veloclLy, and aLLlLude and LhereafLer measurlng your aLLlLude raLes
and acceleraLlons. 1he operaLlon of lnerLlal navlgaLlon sysLems (lnS)
depends upon newLon's laws of classlcal mechanlcs. lL ls Lhe only
form of navlgaLlon LhaL does noL rely on exLernal references.
! 1hese forms of navlgaLlon can be used ln comblnaLlon as well. 1he
sub[ecL of our semlnar ls Lhe flfLh form of navlgaLlon - "/(,%"&#
/&2"'&%"$/.
3
A few deflnlLlons
! 4/(,%"& ls Lhe properLy of bodles Lo malnLaln consLanL LranslaLlonal and roLaLlonal
veloclLy, unless dlsLurbed by forces or Lorques, respecLlvely (newLon's flrsL law of
moLlon).
! An "/(,%"&# ,(5(,(/-( 5,&6( ls a coordlnaLe frame ln whlch newLon's laws of moLlon
are valld. lnerLlal reference frames are nelLher ,$%&%"/' nor &--(#(,&%"/'.
! 4/(,%"&# 1(/1$,1 measure ,$%&%"$/ ,&%( and &--(#(,&%"$/, boLh of whlch are vecLor-
valued varlables.
! 78,$1-$9(1 are sensors for measurlng ,$%&%"$/: ,&%( '8,$1-$9(1 measure ,$%&%"$/
,&%(, and "/%(',&%"/' '8,$1-$9(1 (also called :;$#(<&/'#( '8,$1-$9(1) measure
,$%&%"$/ &/'#(=
! >--(#(,$6(%(,1 are sensors for measurlng &--(#(,&%"$/. Powever, acceleromeLers
-&//$% measure ',&2"%&%"$/&# &--(#(,&%"$/. 1haL ls, an acceleromeLer ln free fall (or
ln orblL) has no deLecLable lnpuL.
! 1he "/9?% &@"1 of an lnerLlal sensor deflnes whlch vecLor componenL lL measures.
A?#%"<&@"1 1(/1$,1 measure more Lhan one componenL.
! >/ "/(,%"&# 6(&1?,(6(/% ?/"% B4ACD or "/(,%"&# ,(5(,(/-( ?/"% B43CD conLalns a
clusLer of sensors: &--(#(,$6(%(,1 (Lhree or more, buL usually Lhree) and
'8,$1-$9(1 (Lhree or more, buL usually Lhree). 1hese sensors are rlgldly mounLed
Lo a common base Lo malnLaln Lhe same relaLlve orlenLaLlon.
4
8aslc prlnclple of lnerLlal navlgaLlon
! Clven Lhe ablllLy Lo measure Lhe acceleraLlon of vehlcle lL
would be posslble Lo calculaLe Lhe change ln veloclLy and
poslLlon by performlng successlve maLhemaLlcal
lnLegraLlons of Lhe acceleraLlon wlLh respecL Lo Llme.
! ln order Lo navlgaLe wlLh respecL Lo our lnerLlal reference
frame, lL ls necessary Lo keep Lrack of Lhe dlrecLlon ln whlch
Lhe acceleromeLers are polnLlng.
! 8oLaLlonal moLlon of Lhe body wlLh respecL Lo lnerLlal
reference frame may be sensed uslng gyroscoplc sensors
LhaL are used Lo deLermlne Lhe orlenLaLlon of Lhe
acceleromeLers aL all Llmes. Clven Lhls lnformaLlon lL ls
posslble Lo resolve Lhe acceleraLlons lnLo Lhe reference
frame before Lhe lnLegraLlon process Lakes place.
3
WhaL does an lnS conslsL of?
! An "/(,%"&# /&2"'&%"$/ uses gyroscopes and acceleromeLers Lo
malnLaln an esLlmaLe of Lhe poslLlon, veloclLy, and aLLlLude raLes of
Lhe vehlcle ln or on whlch Lhe lnS ls carrled, whlch could be a land
vehlcle, alrcrafL, spacecrafL, mlsslle, surface shlp, or submarlne.
! An lnS conslsLs of Lhe followlng:
" >/ 4AC
" 4/1%,?6(/% 1?99$,% (#(-%,$/"-1
" E&2"'&%"$/ -$69?%(,1 (one or more) calculaLe Lhe gravlLaLlonal
acceleraLlon (noL measured by acceleromeLers) and doubly lnLegraLe
Lhe neL acceleraLlon Lo malnLaln an esLlmaLe of Lhe poslLlon of Lhe
hosL vehlcle.
6
SLablllzed laLform and SLrapdown
1echnologles
! 1here are many dlfferenL deslgns of lnS wlLh dlfferenL performance
characLerlsLlcs, buL Lhey fall generally lnLo Lwo caLegorles:
" glmbaled or sLablllzed plaLform Lechnlques, and
" sLrapdown
! 1he orlglnal appllcaLlons of lnS Lechnology used sLable plaLform
Lechnlques. ln such sysLems, Lhe lnerLlal sensors are mounLed on a
sLable plaLform and mechanlcally lsolaLed from Lhe roLaLlonal
moLlon of Lhe vehlcle. laLform sysLems are sLlll ln use, parLlcularly
for Lhose appllcaLlons requlrlng very accuraLe esLlmaLes of
navlgaLlon daLa, such as shlps and submarlnes.
! Modern sysLems have removed mosL of Lhe mechanlcal complexlLy
of plaLform sysLems by havlng Lhe sensors aLLached rlgldly, or
sLrapped down", Lo Lhe body of Lhe hosL vehlcle. 1he poLenLlal
beneflLs of Lhls approach are lower cosL, reduced slze, and greaLer
rellablllLy compared wlLh equlvalenL plaLform sysLems. 1he ma[or
dlsadvanLage ls a subsLanLlal lncrease ln compuLlng complexlLy.
Clmbaled lnerLlal plaLform
8
Clmbaled sysLems
! A '"6F&# ls a rlgld wlLh roLaLlon bearlngs for
lsolaLlng Lhe lnslde of Lhe frame from exLernal
roLaLlons abouL Lhe bearlng axes. AL leasL Lhree
glmbals are requlred Lo lsolaLe a subsysLem from
hosL vehlcle roLaLlons abouL Lhree axes, Lyplcally
labeled ,$##G 9"%-;, and 8&: axes.
! 1he glmbals ln an lnS are mounLed lnslde one
anoLher. Clmbals and Lorque servos are used Lo
null ouL Lhe roLaLlon of sLable plaLform on whlch
Lhe lnerLlal sensors are mounLed.
Pow does glmbaled lnS work?
! 1he gyros of a Lype known as lnLegraLlng gyros" glve an
ouLpuL proporLlonal Lo Lhe angle Lhrough whlch Lhey have
been roLaLed
! CuLpuL of each gyro connecLed Lo a servo-moLor drlvlng Lhe
approprlaLe glmbal, Lhus keeplng Lhe glmbal ln a consLanL
orlenLaLlon ln lnerLlal space
! 1he gyros also conLaln elecLrlcal Lorque generaLors whlch can
be used Lo creaLe a flcLlLlous lnpuL raLe Lo Lhe gyros
! AppllcaLlons of elecLrlcal lnpuL Lo Lhe gyro Lorque generaLors
cause Lhe glmbal Lorque moLors/servos Lo null Lhe dlfference
beLween Lhe Lrue gyro lnpuL raLe and Lhe elecLrlcally applled
blas raLe. 1hls forms a convenlenL means of cancelllng ouL any
drlfL errors ln Lhe gyro.
Clmbaled lnS example
SLrapdown lnS
SLrapdown lnerLlal navlgaLlon concepL
! AcceleromeLers mounLed dlrecLly Lo alrframe
(sLrapdown) and measure body" acceleraLlon
! PorlzonLal/verLlcal acceleraLlons compuLed
analyLlcally uslng dlrecLlon coslne maLrlx
(uCM) relaLlng body coordlnaLed and local
level navlgaLlon coordlnaLes
! uCM compuLed uslng sLrapdown body
mounLed gyro ouLpuLs
8LC lnsLrumenL clusLer (Marconl
lln3110 sLrapdown lnS)
14
1wo-dlmenslonal navlgaLlon for
sLablllzed plaLform
13
1wo-dlmenslonal navlgaLlon for
sLrapdown sysLem
SLrapdown lnerLlal navlgaLlon unlL
block dlagram
SLrapdown lnS bulldlng blocks
17
Accuracy vs. prlce
18
19
AdvanLages of lnS
! lL ls auLonomous and does noL rely on any exLernal alds
or vlslblllLy condlLlons. lL can operaLe ln Lunnels or
underwaLer as well as anywhere else.
! lL ls lnherenLly well sulLed for lnLegraLed navlgaLlon,
guldance, and conLrol of Lhe hosL vehlcle. lLs lMu
measures Lhe derlvaLlves of Lhe varlables Lo be
conLrolled (e.g., poslLlon, veloclLy, and aLLlLude).
! lL ls lmmune Lo [ammlng and lnherenLly sLealLhy. lL
nelLher recelvers nor emlLs deLecLable radlaLlon and
requlres no exLernal anLenna LhaL mlghL be deLecLable
by radar.
20
ulsadvanLages of lnS
! Mean-squared navlgaLlon errors lncrease wlLh Llme.
! CosL, lncludlng:
" AcqulslLlon cosL, whlch can be an order of magnlLude (or more) hlgher Lhan
CS recelvers.
" CperaLlons cosL, lncludlng Lhe crew acLlons and Llme requlred for lnlLlallzlng
poslLlon and aLLlLude. 1lme requlred for lnlLlallzlng lnS aLLlLude by
gyrocompass allgnmenL ls measured ln mlnuLes. 11ll for CS recelvers ls
measured ln seconds.
" MalnLenance cosL. LlecLromechanlcal avlonlcs sysLems (e.g., lnS) Lend Lo have
hlgher fallure raLes and repalr cosL Lhan purely elecLronlc avlonlcs sysLems
(e.g., CS).
! Slze and welghL, whlch have been shrlnklng
! ower requlremenLs, whlch have been shrlnklng along wlLh slze and
welghL buL are sLlll hlgher Lhan Lhose for CS recelvers.
! PeaL dlsslpaLlon, whlch ls proporLlonal Lo and shrlnklng wlLh power
requlremenLs.
21
Synerglsm wlLh CS
! CS lnLegraLlon has noL only made lnerLlal navlgaLlon
plaLform beLLer, lL made lL cosL less
! Sensor errors LhaL were unaccepLable for sLand-alone
lnS operaLlon became accepLable for lnLegraLed
operaLlon
! ManufacLurlng and callbraLlon cosLs for removlng Lhese
errors could be ellmlnaLed
! new low-cosL MLMS sensor Lechnologles could be
applled
! lnS also beneflLs CS performance by carrylng Lhe
navlgaLlon soluLlon durlng loss of CS slgnals and
allowlng rapld re-aqulslLlon
22
8elaLlon Lo guldance and conLrol
! E&2"'&%"$/ ls concerned wlLh deLermlnlng where you
are relaLlve Lo where you wanL Lo be.
! 7?"*&/-( ls concerned wlLh geLLlng yourself Lo your
desLlnaLlon.
! 0$/%,$# ls concerned wlLh sLaylng on Lrack.
! 1here has been qulLe a blL of synerglsm among Lhese
dlsclpllnes, especlally ln Lhe developmenL of mlsslle
Lechnologles where all Lhree could use a common seL
of sensors, compuLlng resources, and englneerlng
LalenL. As a consequence, Lhe hlsLory of developmenL
of lnerLlal navlgaLlon Lechnology has a loL of overlap
wlLh LhaL of guldance and conLrol.