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.