TDK Corporation has announced Trusted Positioning STRIDE, an embedded pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) software solution engineered specifically for wearables such as smart watches, head-mounted devices, glasses and compact sensors.
As OEMs push for more intelligent, context-aware wearable experiences, STRIDE provides reliable positioning without the power and hardware demands traditionally required for GNSS-based tracking.
Wearables today face a critical challenge: adding high-quality positioning typically requires bulky antennas, high-drain GNSS or costly custom hardware — barriers that limit form factor, battery life, and user experience.
STRIDE overcomes these constraints with a low-power, sensor-agnostic software engine that fuses inertial data with GNSS and opportunistic wireless signals, delivering continuous location tracking indoors, outdoors and everywhere in between.
STRIDE runs as embedded software, giving OEMs freedom to deploy positioning without redesigning hardware or relying on cloud connectivity. STRIDE processes sensor data in real time, ensures low latency, and can be configured for on-device, companion-device, or cloud-assisted architectures. This flexibility helps manufacturers balance performance, power, and form-factor constraints based on their device strategy.
For integration questions or technical documentation, contact TDK.
TDK Corporation has introduced the Tronics AXO315T0, a high-temperature MEMS accelerometer designed for measurement while drilling (MWD) applications in the energy sector. The new sensor features a ±14 g input range and a digital interface, expanding TDK’s MEMS inertial sensor portfolio.
The AXO315T0 uses TDK’s closed-loop architecture, which delivers advanced vibration rectification and resistance to operational shocks. The device maintains a bias residual error of 0.8 mg across its operating temperature range of minus 30°C to 150°C, enabling precise and continuous inclination measurements for directional drilling tools exposed to high temperatures.
To meet the demanding reliability requirements of complex drilling operations in harsh environments, TDK qualified the AXO315T0 through more than 1,000 hours of powered life testing at 165 degrees Celsius, temperature cycling from minus 55 degrees Celsius to 165 degrees Celsius, and high-temperature vibration tests at 20 g RMS random vibration combined with a 50 g sine sweep.
The AXO315T0 offers a typical bias drift of less than 1 mg without recalibration after 1,000 hours at high temperature, providing a digital, low size, weight and power (SWaP) alternative to traditional quartz accelerometers. This advancement supports a new generation of MWD tools capable of long-term operation at elevated temperatures without compromising performance.
AXO315T0 sensors and evaluation boards are available for sampling and customer evaluation. TDK plans to further expand its MEMS portfolio for the energy market with a new accelerometer capable of operating at temperatures up to 175 °C.
Main applications:
Measurement while drilling (MWD)
Logging while drilling (LWD)
Directional drilling
Wireline
Key features and benefits:
±14 g input range, single-axis accelerometer
Operating temperature range: minus 30 °C to 150 °C
TDK Corp. recently revealed that its subsidiary, Tronics Microsystems, will exhibit at the Offshore Technology Conference 2025 from May 5-8. The event will take place at NRG Park in Houston, Texas, and will feature a wide range of solutions for the future of offshore energy.
Tronics will showcase its high-performance MEMS inertial sensors and a high-temperature MEMS accelerometer for inclination measurement in directional drilling applications. The company recently unveiled the AXO314, its latest addition to the Tronics AXO300 accelerometer platform. This digital MEMS accelerometer is designed for industrial applications operating under shock and vibration, with a ±14 g input range.
Leveraging a strong track record in serving demanding aerospace and railway markets, Tronics will demonstrate how its closed-loop sensor’s architecture assists drilling guidance tools to operate under high temperature, vibrations and shock conditions.
Attendees can attend a live demo of a miniature north-seeking MEMS gyroscope, enabling precise azimuth measurement in downhole survey tools, according to the company.
TDK Corporation has unveiled the AXO314, its latest addition to the Tronics AXO300 accelerometer platform. This digital MEMS accelerometer is designed for industrial applications operating under shock and vibration, with a ±14 g input range.
The AXO314’s closed-loop architecture provides linearity and high vibration rejection, offering a low-SWaP, digital alternative to tactical-grade quartz accelerometers.
It has a one-year composite bias repeatability of 1 mg and bias instability of 4 µg, offering a robust, miniature and precise acceleration sensing solution for dynamic systems in harsh environments.
This new accelerometer is well-suited for land, sea and air surveying and mapping applications and GNSS-assisted positioning systems for aerial and ground vehicles.
TDK Corporation has released Tronics GYPRO4300, a high stability and vibration-tolerant digital MEMS gyroscope for dynamic applications.
The GYPRO4300 features a ±300°/s input measurement range, 200 Hz bandwidth, and 1 ms latency with a closed-loop architecture that enables high linearity and stability. The GYPRO4300 has bias instability of 0.5°/h as a typical value and a maximum value of 2°/h.
The GYPRO4300 is suitable for applications such as railways, land vehicles, vertical take-off and landing aircraft and UAVs, marine and subsea systems, borehole drilling and surveying instruments.
The GYPRO4300 is available now for sampling and customer evaluations. Evaluations of the sensors can also be made with an Arduino-based evaluation kit that provides built-in testing functionalities such as output reading and recording, recalibration, and digital self-tests.
A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the February 2023 issue of GPS World magazine.
SURVEYING & MAPPING
GPSMAP 64csx handheld GPS receiver (Image: Gamin)
Handheld GPS With navigation sensors and camera
The GPSMAP 64csx handheld GPS receiver comes with multi-GNSS support, TopoActive mapping, barometric altimeter, three-axis compass, and wireless connectivity via Bluetooth and ANT+ technology. It also has an 8 MP autofocus camera. The GPSMAP 64csx is built to withstand rugged terrain and is water-resistant. The highly sensitive receiver and quad helix antenna provide support from GPS, GLONASS and Galileo. Preloaded TopoActive maps include waterways, natural features, buildings and international boundaries. It is compatible with smartphones so users can receive email and text messages and share location data with others. Garmin, garmin.com
The Venus Laser RTK receiver comes with an inertial measurement unit. It can be used in its traditional mode with a range pole, or in laser mode without a pole, enabling GNSS surveying beyond typical limitations. In traditional mode, it has tilt compensation of up to 60° with an accuracy of 2.5 cm; in laser mode, it has the same tilt compensation but an accuracy of 5.5 cm. The receiver is powered by a SinoGNSS K8 high-precision module capable of up to 1,590 channels. It can survey using GPS, BDS-2, BDS-3, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and SBAS constellations. Other features include Bluetooth connectivity, more than 20 hours of battery life, and ruggedness (it is dust and waterproof and is designed to survive a two-meter drop). ComNav Technology Ltd., comnavtech.com
Leica iCON gps 160 (Image: Leica Geosystems)
Smart Antenna With features to increase productivity on the construction site
The Leica iCON gps 160 is a next-generation construction smart antenna designed to increase productivity in stakeout and measurement applications on the jobsite. It features a large color display with clear navigation for quick and easy setup without additional hardware. It is optionally available with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) for tilt-compensation functionality up to 20°. It seamlessly integrates with all Leica iCON construction instruments and controllers as well as the iCON field software for precise, real-time verification. Leica Geosystems, leica-geosystems.com
The Xsens Vision Navigator (Image: Movella)
GNSS inertial navigation Integrates position inputs from three high-accuracy sources
The Xsens Vision Navigator integrates position inputs from three high-accuracy sources including dual-antenna real-time kinematic (RTK) GNSS receivers; an inertial measurement unit (IMU) incorporating a three-axis accelerometer, a gyroscope and magnetometer; and a visual inertial odometry system. It can optionally accept input from an external wheel-speed sensor. The positioning sensor achieves centimeter-level accuracy when operating in GNSS mode with an RTK fix. When GNSS signals are not available, the product alone achieves accuracy of 2% of travel distance, or 0.75% when supplemented by wheel speed. Xsens Vision Navigator is suitable for outdoor positioning applications such as material handling equipment, commercial and specialist vehicles, last-mile delivery, inspection equipment and UAVs, agricultural equipment, mining equipment and utility robots. Movella, movella.com
SILC Eyeonic Vision System (Image: SiLC)
Coherent Vision Solution Delivers high levels of vision perception
The Eyeonic Vision System is a frequency-modulated continuous wave lidar solution, which delivers high levels of vision perception to identify and avoid objects with low latency. At the core of the Eyeonic Vision System is a fully integrated silicon photonics chip. It provides more definition and precision than legacy lidar solutions, with roughly 10 milli-degree of angular resolution coupled with millimeter-level precision. These features enable this solution to measure the shape and distance of objects with high-precision and at a large distance. The system combines the Eyeonic Vision Sensor and a digital processing solution based on a powerful field-programmable gate array. The flexible architecture enables synchronization of multiple vision sensors for unlimited points per second.
SiLC, silc.com
OEM
The SYN4778 (Image: Synaptics)
Integrated Circuit Designed for the internet of things
The SYN4778 is a small, low-power GNSS integrated circuit designed to extend battery life, reduce product size, and enhance performance of advanced location-based services for internet of things (IoT) devices — wearables, mobile accessories, asset trackers, UAVS and transportation devices. It includes advanced multipath interference mitigation using L5-band signals from GPS, Galileo, BeiDou, NAVIC, SBAS and QZSS. The chip also uses the L1 satellite band to reduce both the time to first fix, and the power consumed, improving the end-user experience and enabling product developers to add additional functionality and features to their IoT devices. Synaptics, synpatics.com
The Boreas D70 is a fiber-optic gyroscope (FOG) inertial navigation system (INS), part of the Boreas digital FOG series. The technology is suited to surveying, mapping and navigation across subsea, marine, land and air applications. It also could be adopted for vehicular applications, including autonomous vehicles and aircraft where weight and size are at a premium. The Boreas D70 combines closed-loop DFOG and accelerometer technologies with a dual-antenna real-time kinematic (RTK) GNSS receiver. These are coupled with an artificial-intelligence-based fusion algorithm to deliver accurate and precise navigation. Advanced Navigation, advancednavigation.com
The u-blox NEO-F10T (Image: u-blox)
Timing Module Dual-band and secure for 5G communications
The u-blox NEO-F10T offers nanosecond-level timing accuracy, meeting the stringent timing requirements for 5G communications. It is compliant with the u-blox NEO form factor (12.2 mm x 16 mm), allowing space-constrained designs to be realized without the need to compromise on size. The NEO-F10T is the successor to the NEO-M8T module, providing an easy upgrade path to dual-band timing technology. This allows NEO-M8T users to access nanosecond-level timing accuracy and enhanced security. u-blox’s dual-band technology mitigates ionospheric errors and greatly reduces timing error, without the need for an external GNSS correction service. u-blox, u-blox.com
TRANSPORTATION
SafePilot P3 (Image: Trelleborg)
Maritime Systems Provides data on vessel positioning
The SafePilot P3 navigation system provides real-time data on vessel positioning and movement in tight waterways. It uses motion sensors and two GNSS antennas to measure the position and heading of vessels in three dimensions, minimizing time and difficulty associated with piloting procedures. SafePilot P3 has a backup battery to maintain functionality in the event of a power outage. This navigation system improves situational awareness while navigating waterways and ports globally, and also enhances communication between the captain, pilot, tug operators and canal personnel while vessels are transiting a canal and approaching a port.
Trelleborg, trelleborg.com
FusionEngine software (Image: Point One Navigation)
Positioning Engine Assures functional safety of ASIL-B
FusionEngine software, which is rated for automotive safety integrity level (ASIL), is now compatible with STMicroelectronics’ Teseo ASIL Precise Positioning GNSS chipset TeseoAPP. This assures functional safety of ASIL-B, a requirement for Level 3+ advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). It can be integrated into several different host processors to enable high-level ADAS and autonomous driving systems. The combination of TeseoAPP’s receiver and the STA5365S external RF front-end provides dual-band measurement data for all visible GNSS satellites to the main host processor into which
FusionEngine is integrated. Point One Navigation, pointonenav.com
Ghost Autonomy Engine (Image: Ghost)
Autonomous driving software for level 4 driver assistance
The Ghost Autonomy Engine achieves the reliability required to bridge the gap between driver assistance capabilities L2 or L2+, and self-driving that does not rely on a human backup (L4). The software provides a stereo-vision neural network that delivers per-pixel depth in real time. It is capable of detecting and segmenting key features in a scene without needing to classify or recognize them. The physics-based perception system can handle the long tail of obstacles on the road, even those never seen before. Ghost, ghostautonomy.com
Vista-X120 Plus (Image: Cepton)
Lidar Provides 3D perception
The Vista-X120 Plus is a slim automotive lidar device for real-time adaptive 3D perception for advanced driver assistance. Its software-definable region of interest enables higher dynamic perception capabilities, while an adjustable central field of view with increased angular resolution improves accuracy in detection and classification of objects when driving. The region of interest is also configurable in real time in both horizontal and vertical directions. The Vista-X120 Plus is compact at 140 mm x 30 mm, improving OEM integration and placement options without disrupting vehicle appearance. Cepton, cepton.com
IIM-42653 and IIM-42652-I sensor platforms (Image: TDK Corporation)
Sensor Platforms Targets industrial and navigation applications
The IIM-42653 and IIM-42652-I sensor platforms consist of 6-axis IMUs, which target industrial and navigation applications requiring high force sensitive resistor (FSR) performance or inertial navigation software. The IIM-42653 platform — a robust, low-noise, low-power, 6-axis IMU — is capable of a gyro-programmable output of 4,000 dps and an accelerometer-programmable output of 32 g. These features make the IIM-42653 suitable for industrial-grade or high-end automated guided vehicles, automated mobile robots and unmanned aerial vehicles. The IIM-42652-I platform offers hardware authentication and can be integrated with TRACK dead-reckoning software from Trusted Positioning. TRACK filters GNSS multipath errors and provides a continuous navigation solution when GNSS signals are unavailable. TDK Corporation, invensense.tdk.com
VO Max 4T (Image: Autel Robotics)
Flight Platform
For enterprise and professional applications
The EVO Max 4T autonomous flight platform provides omnidirectional obstacle avoidance and tri-anti-interference capability to ensure flight safety and stability in high-interference environments. It is equipped with three high-quality cameras including a 48 MP telephoto camera, a 50 MP wide-angle camera and an infrared camera. The platform has a range of navigation and data-acquisition functions, including 3D flight routes, PinPoint Mode, Team Work, Polygon Mission, Waypoint Mission and Oblique Photography. EVO NEST is a base for automatic take-off, landing, charging and mission planning for EVO series UAVs. It is designed for all-weather operation and can be easily transported. Autel Robotics, autelrobotics.com
InvenSense (TDK Corporation) has introduced a line of automotive high-accuracy devices: the IAM-20680, IAM-20680HP, IAM-20380 and IAM-20381.
According to the company, they are designed to enhance the absolute position of a vehicle in GNSS- and GPS-denied environments.
The IAM-20680 is a 6-axis qualified sensor that features 16-bit accelerometers and 16-bit gyroscopes.
The IAM-20680HP is a high-performance version of the IAM-20680 that features high gyroscope and offset thermal stability.
The IAM-20380 gyroscope is compatible with a 3-axis automotive accelerometer and an automotive-qualified 6-axis device.
The IAM-20381 is a 3-axis accelerometer compatible with a 3-axis automotive gyroscope and an automotive-qualified 6-axis device.
The IAM-20680HP and IAM-20680 can be used to improve estimates of position, direction and speed when GNSS is denied, as well as improve quality of the position estimation when the satellite signal is strong.
Customers can design with the IAM-20680 and can use the IAM-20680HP when navigating in high temperature environments or for systems where cooling is weak or unavailable.
TDK Corporation has introduced a new line of automotive high-accuracy devices from InvenSense, a TDK group company. The line includes the IAM-20680, IAM-20680HP, IAM-20380 and IAM-20381.
According to the company, its family of automotive solutions can help enhance the absolute position of a vehicle in GNSS- and GPS-denied environments. They also can be interchanged without the need to redesign hardware or software.
The IAM-20680 is a 6-axis qualified sensor that features 16-bit accelerometers and 16-bit gyroscopes. The IAM-20680HP is a high-performance version of the IAM-20680 that features high gyroscope and offset thermal stability. The IAM-20380 is an automotive-qualified gyroscope fully compatible with a 3-axis automotive accelerometer and an automotive-qualified 6-axis device. The IAM-20381 is an automotive-qualified 3-axis accelerometer fully compatible with a 3-axis automotive gyroscope and an automotive-qualified 6-axis device.
The IAM-20680HP and IAM-20680 can be used to improve estimates of the position, direction and speed of a vehicle when the satellite signal is deteriorated or non-existent, as well as to improve the quality of the position estimation when the satellite signal is strong, the company said. Customers can design with the IAM-20680 and can use the IAM-20680HP when navigating in high temperature environments or for systems where cooling is weak or unavailable.
If cost efficiency is an important consideration, the company recommends the IAM-20380 or IAM-20381.
“With the increased usage of location services for turn-by-turn navigation, the importance of not losing your GPS or GNSS signal due to environments like tunnels, parking garages and urban canyons is paramount,” said Amir Panush, vice president and general manager of the Motion and Pressure Business Unit at TDK. “With a full family of InvenSense product offerings that are automotive qualified, OEMs have a plethora of options to differentiate the user experience and supply consumers with more reliable navigation solutions.”
The IAM-20680 and IAM-20680HP are also designed into the new InvenSense Coursa Drive software solution, an inertial-aided positioning software solution for autonomous vehicle platform developers.
