Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) are self-contained systems that measure linear and angular motion, typically using a triad of gyroscopes and a triad of accelerometers. IMU's are used in robotics, structural health monitoring, autonomous vehicles, and more. This self-contained IMU prototype uses the MPU9250 sensor package, which uses magnetic field and temperature data to compensate for the drift problems typically seen in gyroscopes and accelerometers. Data is packetized by a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4 microcontroller and transmitted to a desktop computer using the XBee protocol. Compared to commercially-available IMU's, this prototype is low-cost (under $100), low-power (less than 330 mW including the wireless transmitter), and miniature. Research is underway on novel approaches to further minimize sensor drift and improve accuracy.
Contact:
Yang Yang, yxy379@case.edu