Inertial orientation tracking with low cost sensors as a Kalman filter application

In the last few years the development of smaller inertial sensors has been pushed forward. The dimensions of the newest sensors, which are partly still in pilot production measure a few millimetres only. The price of the sensors decreases in line with the size caused in the abnormal increasing production figures and the application of low cost micro mechanical silicon structures. This makes applications with low cost systems possible in the meantime. The Fraunhofer Technology Development Group (TEG) in Stuttgart has shown the possibility of motion-tracing an object with new low cost miniaturised sensors. The main drawback of low cost Inertial Navigation Systems is the sensor drift, because decreasing volume and price goes hand in hand with a strong decrease in accuracy. This disadvantage has obviated the advantage of the low cost sensors up to now