Application of an Inertial Navigation System to the Quad-rotor UAV using MEMS Sensors

Inertial navigation systems are used in many situations where the use of an external reference to measure position is impractical or unreliable. Typical inertial navigation systems used in aeronautics and marine applications are highly advanced pieces of equipment costing thousands of dollars. However, inexpensive accelerometers and angular rate sensors (gyros) can be used to make a far less accurate inertial navigation unit for around $100. The design implemented in this report uses one Analog Devices MEMS rate gyro, two dual-axis MEMS accelerometers, and a Microchip PIC 8-bit microcontroller. Proper calibration is explored as a means of improving the system accuracy, as the parameters of the sensors used are not as stable or as closely specified as their more advanced counterparts. Keywords—Inertial navigation system, low cost sensors, calibration and system design.