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Tag: Inertial Sense

  • Hexagon completes acquisition of Inertial Sense

    Hexagon completes acquisition of Inertial Sense

    Hexagon has successfully completed acquisition of Inertial Sense, strengthening its assured positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) portfolio with tactical-grade GNSS+INS technology.

    The acquisition reinforces Hexagon’s long-term commitment to innovation in high-performance navigation technologies. Inertial Sense strengthens Hexagon’s positioning portfolio and further enhances its assured PNT capabilities.

    Headquartered in Provo, Utah, Inertial Sense will continue supplying inertial navigation solutions and will be integrated into Hexagon’s Aerospace & Defence Division.

    “Inertial Sense brings exceptional GNSS+INS innovation that advances our assured PNT roadmap and expands resilient positioning capabilities in GPS-challenged environments,” said Stig Pedersen, president, Aerospace & Defence Division, Hexagon. “Their compact, cost-effective solutions meaningfully enhance our ability to serve aerospace and defence applications.”

    Inertial Sense is a provider of high-performance navigation solutions, with more than 30,000 inertial systems deployed worldwide across defense and commercial applications.

    Inertial Sense was founded in 2013 by Walt Johnson, who started Inertial Sense 10 years ago to make precision navigation lightweight and affordable so that it could be deployed anywhere and accessible to any business. This includes the rapidly emerging industries of drones, mobile robotics, aerospace and defense, autonomous vehicles, and automated manufacturing, all of which would require scalable and affordable navigation solutions.

  • Hexagon to acquire Inertial Sense, strengthening its positioning portfolio

    Hexagon to acquire Inertial Sense, strengthening its positioning portfolio

    Hexagon, a global leader in measurement and positioning technologies, has entered an agreement to acquire Inertial Sense, a provider of tactical-grade global navigation solutions and inertial navigation systems (INS), to strengthen the breadth of its positioning portfolio.

    Inertial Sense’s capabilities seek to complement Hexagon’s assured positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) portfolio, which provides an affordable, high-performance navigation solution to users across aerospace and defense, robotics and UAV industries.

    Inertial Sense has established itself as a trusted provider of high-performance navigation solutions across a wide range of defense and commercial applications, with more than 30,000 inertial systems deployed worldwide. Its patented designs and proprietary technology enable tactical-grade solutions for space-constrained applications, delivering centimeter-level accuracy with a competitive price point.

    “Assured PNT is critical to success of our customers,” said Anders Svensson, president and CEO of Hexagon. “The team at Inertial Sense has developed an impressive array of GNSS+INS solutions which address the assured PNT requirements of our customers and fit seamlessly into our aerospace and defense product portfolio, while also providing opportunities for expansion into robotics and UAV applications.”

    Inertial Sense, headquartered in Utah, is expected to generate revenues of around $5 million in 2025, with strong growth rates and profitability in line with Autonomous Solution’s average levels. Inertial Sense will be reported within Hexagon’s Autonomous Solutions business area. Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions and is expected to be finalized in the first half of 2026.

  • Inertial Sense presents full sensor fusion at Xponential 2019

    Inertial Sense CEO Brian Cahoon discusses the company’s product line at Xponential 2019, which took place April 29-May 2 in Chicago. A combination of the company’s inertial navigation sensors, IMU, GPS sensor and processor creates full sensor fusion, Cahoon said.

  • Inertial Sense releases RTK-INS for consumer applications

    Inertial Sense releases RTK-INS for consumer applications

    Dime-sized INS with RTK paves the way for high accuracy in mass-market consumer applications.

    Photo: Inertial Sense
    Photo: Inertial Sense

    Inertial Sense has released a new micro-sized inertial navigation system (INS) with precise real-time-kinematic (RTK)-level accuracy. The company says the new solution paves the way for high accuracy in mass-market consumer applications.

    The new micro INS with RTK solution offers an accuracy of 2-3 centimeters using GPS positioning in combination with inertial sensors (including on-board sensor fusion).

    Inertial Sense designs and manufactures precision INS+RTK GPS sensors that deliver fast, accurate and reliable altitude, velocity and position for a wide range of autonomous vehicle applications, the company said.

    The new micro INS with RTK provides a high degree of precision for orientation and GPS in a tiny package. Standard INS/GPS sensors offer accuracy in the range of 1.5 to 2 meters. Inertial Sense’s micro INS with RTK offers accuracy of 2-3 centimeters.

    In the image above, a vehicle travels under an overpass. The 3-cm accurate RTK-inertial navigation track holds true to the vehicle’s position while the standard GPS signal is lost. (Image: Inertial Sense)
    In the image above, a vehicle travels under an overpass. The 3-cm accurate RTK-inertial navigation track holds true to the vehicle’s position while the standard GPS signal is lost. (Image: Inertial Sense)

    “The incredibly small size of our new micro INS with RTK sensor, in combination with its extremely affordable price point, will make this type of highly sophisticated technology accessible for general consumer applications for the very first time,” said Walt Johnson, founder and CTO, Inertial Sense. “We are offering RTK at a size, accuracy and price point that the market has never seen before.”

    By optimizing the manufacturing processes for high volume applications, the micro INS with RTK sensor is as small and lightweight as a dime, and is available at a low price point.

    Sensor fusion. Sensor data from MEMs gyros, accelerometers, magnetometers, barometric pressure and u-blox GPS/GNSS are fused to provide optimal position estimation. Data out includes angular rate, linear acceleration, magnetic field, barometric altitude and GPS time.

    The miniature module provides orientation, velocity and position. Base station corrections data can be applied to achieve centimeter-level precision.

    Autonomous vehicles. The sensor will enable the navigation of all types of autonomous vehicles with a very high degree of precision, Inertial Sense said.

    Inertial Sense patented modules are currently being sold worldwide at volume for a broad variety of applications including:

    • Autonomous navigation: Drones, ground robotics, precision ag, automobiles
    • Aerial surveys: UAV Payloads for 3D mapping, photogrammetry, orthomosaics
    • Gimbal stabilization and antenna pointing
    • 3D motion capture and personnel tracking

    Evaluation kits. Inertial Sense has bundled evaluation kits it says are simple to use and contain everything needed to begin logging RTK-accurate data. The evaluation boards can be utilized in both rover and base station configurations and include 900-mhz radios with onboard logging capabilities.

  • Inertial Sense debuts rugged micro GNSS-INS module

    Inertial Sense has announced the availability of a micro-sized rugged version of its combined GNSS-INS module, which has an onboard GNSS receiver as well as a fully fused inertial navigation solution.

    Designed to fill autonomous vehicle and sensing needs, the module is also available in AHRS/IMU versions.

    At 10 grams and with 1 x 1-inch footprint, the solution provides accuracy of 0.1-degree roll/pitch and 0.3-degree dynamic heading. It is also ITAR-free module.

    The modules represent 15 years of inertial navigation and motion measurement experience, according to the company.

    “When I set out on this journey to provide an accurate and low-cost navigation solution, I wanted to produce a product that engineers could purchase off the shelf, hassle free,” said company founder Walt Johnson. “In my past as a UAV engineer, I was always looking for ways to save myself time and money. It’s all about convenience. There is no need to spend time choosing IMU sensors and writing the algorithms to fuse navigation data. We provide it all for you.”