Investigating the Effects of Magnetic Variations on Inertial/Magnetic Orientation Sensors

Abstract

This article describes several experiments designed to examine small-scale magnetic interference caused by typical objects and how this interference can be expected to affect the accuracy of orientation estimates produced using data from inertial/magnetic sensor modules. The results provide insight into the limitations of inertial/magnetic sensor module orientation tracking. They indicate that while errors due to local variations in a common room environment caused by individual objects can be significant, in most cases they can be avoided by maintaining a separation of approximately 1 m from the source of interference. The interference caused by combined sources in a noisy indoor environment can, however, be quite complex. The results also indicate that inertial/magnetic sensor modules can be used to track link orientation of a mechanical arm relative to an Earth-fixed reference frame.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 2007
Accession Number
ADA601163

Entities

People

  • Anne Brumfield
  • Eric R. Bachmann
  • Xiaoping Yun

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Autonomy
  • Sensors

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Algorithms
  • Coordinate Systems
  • Filters
  • Filtration
  • Kalman Filters
  • Magnetic Detectors
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Magnetic Induction
  • Magnetic Properties
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Optical Tracking
  • Orientation (Direction)
  • Power Supplies
  • Robotics
  • Three Dimensional

Readers

  • Inertial Navigation Systems.
  • Sensor Fusion and Tracking Systems.
  • Systems Analysis and Design