Inertsnavigatsiooni

Inertsnavigatsiooni, often referred to as Inertial Navigation System (INS), is a self-contained navigation technique that uses motion sensors, accelerometers and gyroscopes, to track a vehicle's position, orientation, and velocity without the need for external references. These systems continuously measure the vehicle's acceleration and angular velocity, integrating these measurements over time to calculate changes in position and orientation from a known starting point.

The core components of an INS are accelerometers and gyroscopes. Accelerometers measure linear acceleration along one or more axes, while gyroscopes measure angular velocity. By integrating the acceleration measurements, the system can determine the velocity and, by integrating velocity, the position. Similarly, integrating the angular velocity measurements allows for the tracking of orientation.

INS provides a completely autonomous navigation solution, making it valuable in environments where external navigation aids like GPS may be unavailable or unreliable, such as underwater, in dense urban canyons, or during electronic warfare. However, INS systems are susceptible to drift. Small errors in the sensor measurements accumulate over time, leading to increasing inaccuracies in the calculated position and orientation. This drift necessitates periodic recalibration or aiding from other navigation sources, such as GPS, to maintain accuracy. Modern INS often combine these sensors with other navigation technologies to mitigate drift and improve overall performance.