Inertial Navigation Systems

Comments debate GPS alternatives like inertial navigation systems (INS), dead reckoning, star trackers, and gyroscopes, focusing on error accumulation, calibration needs, and applications in aircraft, vehicles, and missiles.

➡️ Stable 0.7x Science
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Keywords

TPMS US RF ODM EXIF gpsworld.com INS FOG GPS i.e gps navigation ins position dead sensors drift clock kalman quantum

Sample Comments

rficcaglia • Feb 6, 2019 • View on HN

navigate by stars and moon and position of the sun vs chronometers vs gps?

rightbyte • Jun 21, 2019 • View on HN

Maybe they are using GPS bearing with gyro compensation?

throwawaylinux • Jun 7, 2023 • View on HN

It's not dead reckoning, it's continually fixing to a map.

davidkellis • Jun 7, 2023 • View on HN

Sounds like inertial navigation to me.

hamiltonkibbe • Jul 3, 2015 • View on HN

you don't need an initial heading measurement but you still need to know where you are

ho_schi • May 21, 2025 • View on HN

I did a Ctrl+F and it doesn't mention once Inertial Navigation Systems (INS)[1]?As long as an external signal for navigation is used, the problems of external signals will remain. INS doesn't suffer from this issue and is already used in planes, ships, cars and phones for years. Actually I miss INS in cycling computers, it could fix so many issues.[1] https://en.

arianvanp • Oct 4, 2019 • View on HN

I thought most airplanes have Inertial Navigation Systems with GPS for occasional calibration when the INS drifts.

jelkand • Apr 16, 2024 • View on HN

That sounds like inertial navigation with nav fixes, which predates GPS. It certainly does exist.

lyu07282 • Mar 28, 2024 • View on HN

Is that really true? INS/inertial navigation systems accumulate errors over time, GPS is still required for them, its not a replacement?

detourdog • Jul 31, 2023 • View on HN

it probably has both gyroscopes and star-charts for navigation.