Unmanned Systems Technology 023 I Milrem Multiscope I Wireless charging I Logistics insight I InterGeo, CUAV London & USA show reports I VideoRay Defender I OS Engines GR400U-FI I Ultrabeam Hydrographic Ultra-2 I IMUs

Where are we heading? 80 A dvances in micro- electromechanical systems (MEMS), fibre- optic gyroscopes (FOGs), IMU architectures, along with calibration, software algorithms, processors and integration with GNSS systems (which have themselves also been improving) have enhanced navigation precision for unmanned vehicles without driving up costs or weight requirements. The increasing precision of IMUs has also spurred their integration into mission payloads such as EO/IR and lidar sensors for gyro-stabilisation, enabling the mechanics for autonomous ‘geo- pointing’ towards moving or stationary objects as the host vehicle travels around, towards or away from them. MEMS devices Appropriately, given their name, MEMS devices have typical lengths of less than 1 mm but more than 1 micron, and comprise electrical and mechanical components designed around sensing the force and angular rate at which they are moving. They are fabricated using IC batch- processing technologies, such as Rory Jackson explains how advances in MEMS technology are benefiting navigation systems in unmanned craft Inertial measurement units are used in applications such as navigation and gimbal gyro-stabilisation in unmanned vehicles (Images, clockwise from top left, courtesy of VectorNav, iXblue, Gladiator Technologies and Advanced Navigation) December/January 2019 | Unmanned Systems Technology