Towards self-navigating cars using MEMS IMU: Challenges and opportunities

In this work, we experimentally demonstrate strapdown inertial navigation for automobiles with position errors reaching GPS-like accuracies by using a tactical-grade MEMS gyroscope in an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) for attitude estimation and a speedometer for velocity estimation. This paper also analyzes the propagation of sensor errors into position error and determines that the gyroscope rate integration error due to combined Angle Random Walk (ARW) and Bias Instability (BI) is the dominant source. We conclude that dead-reckoning the position using tactical-grade MEMS gyroscopes without aiding is feasible for car navigation over 10 minutes with the 30 m position rms error dominated by gyroscope errors (GPS accuracy is 15 m).