Do we need to complement GPS with an INS as position reference in Dynamic Positioning?

John-Morten Godhavn

Abstract:	This paper aims to answer the question stated in the paper title using our basis of years of experience with professional GPS solutions for DP operations and integrated GPS with inertial navigation solutions for the demanding market of hydrographic surveyors. Preliminary tests have shown that a low cost motion sensor can be used to provide position during short GPS outages. Position during longer GPS outages can be provided with more accurate rate gyros (RLG or FOG). Algorithms integrating GPS and INS will improve performance during periods with difficult satellite conditions, with few satellites or with bad geometry. Tight integration of GPS and INS can also be used to calibrate the inertial sensors online. This will improve the performance and minimise position drift during GPS outages. However, an INS requires external position aiding in order to output a sufficiently accurate position for DP during a DP operation, and can therefore not be considered as a self-contained position reference.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 14th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 2001) September 11 - 14, 2001 Salt Palace Convention Center Salt Lake City, UT
Pages:	1636 - 1662
Cite this article:	Godhavn, John-Morten, "Do we need to complement GPS with an INS as position reference in Dynamic Positioning?," Proceedings of the 14th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 2001), Salt Lake City, UT, September 2001, pp. 1636-1662.
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