C h a p t e r 1
One application that most powerfully
demonstrates the value of MEMS is the
IMU.
An IMU is an electronic device that
measures and reports a body's specific
force, angular rate, and sometimes
magnetic fields. These measurements
are collected by leveraging and
aggregating data from a combination
of accelerometers, gyroscopes, and
magnetometers. Thanks to the integration
of multiple sensors into one unit, IMUs
provide a valuable tool for determining
the relative positioning and orientation of
a device.
Alongside the possible introduction of
GPS, IMUs have proven to be particularly
important in applications that require
navigation or autonomy, such as vehicles
and industrial equipment. Consider the
example of a construction machine. In
an excavator, IMUs allow the machine
to understand its positioning to
control digging depth with a high level
of accuracy and automation. As the
excavator operates, the IMU continuously
measures and reports on parameters like
tilt, roll, and pitch. These measurements
are crucial for ensuring that the digging
arm moves exactly as intended, avoiding
over or under digging.
Before the introduction of MEMS,
IMUs were based on very cumbersome
equipment that included some
combination of fiber optics, lasers, and/
MEMS AND IMUS
Abhilash Joshi
Senior Design Engineer, Sweco
The technologies used for accurate
slope or position measurements
have evolved significantly over
the years. For instance, inertial
navigation systems (INS) use
accelerometers and gyroscopes to
measure changes in velocity and
orientation where GPS may not be
available or reliable."
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9 Industry Experts Discuss MEMS Technology
