strapdownjärjestelmä

Strapdownjärjestelmä, often referred to as an Inertial Navigation System (INS) in English, is a self-contained navigation system that uses accelerometers and gyroscopes to track an object's position, orientation, and velocity. Unlike traditional navigation systems that might rely on external references like GPS or celestial bodies, a strapdown system is "strapped down" to the vehicle, meaning its sensors are rigidly attached to the platform.

The core components of a strapdownjärjestelmä are inertial sensors, primarily accelerometers and gyroscopes. Accelerometers measure linear acceleration along three orthogonal axes, while gyroscopes measure angular velocity. By continuously integrating these measurements over time, the system can calculate the object's changes in velocity and position relative to its starting point.

The term "strapdown" highlights the contrast with earlier gimballed inertial navigation systems. In gimballed systems, the inertial sensors were mounted on a gimbals mechanism that kept them physically isolated from the vehicle's motion, maintaining a stable reference frame. In strapdown systems, the sensors are directly mounted to the vehicle. This simplification reduces mechanical complexity, cost, and size, making them suitable for a wider range of applications.

Strapdownjärjestelmät are widely used in aircraft, missiles, spacecraft, and even some advanced ground vehicles. They are valuable for their ability to provide continuous navigation data independently of external signals, which can be crucial in environments where GPS is unavailable or unreliable, such as underwater or during electronic jamming. However, strapdown systems are susceptible to drift over time due to inherent sensor errors, requiring occasional recalibration or integration with other navigation aids to maintain accuracy.