Implementation of an FPGA-based Aided IMU on a Low-Cost Autonomous Outdoor Robot

M. Jew, A. El-Osery, S. Bruder

Abstract: This paper presents the implementation of real-time algorithms for an aided Inertial Navigation System (INS) on a fabric processor based field programmable gate array (FPGA). Such an approach allows for the development of a hard realtime computational architecture tailored to the specific INS requirements while still preserving flexibility. The development of a realistic simulator proved to be an important stepping stone in the deployment of the INS algorithms in addition to providing useful insight into overall system operation. The simulation supports modular code verification and validation for the embedded target. Specifically, we focus on the integration of an inertial navigation systems (INS) with a man-portable tracked MATILDA robot manufactured by Mesa Robotics. This platform has seen service in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and divides into three pieces for transportation where each piece weighs about 20 pounds.
Published in: Proceedings of IEEE/ION PLANS 2010
May 4 - 6, 2010
Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa
Indian Wells, CA
Pages: 1043 - 1051
Cite this article: Jew, M., El-Osery, A., Bruder, S., "Implementation of an FPGA-based Aided IMU on a Low-Cost Autonomous Outdoor Robot," Proceedings of IEEE/ION PLANS 2010, Indian Wells, CA, May 2010, pp. 1043-1051. https://doi.org/10.1109/PLANS.2010.5507333
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