Drift-free dynamic height sensor using MEMS IMU aided by MEMS pressure sensor

Abstract

We demonstrate a low-cost, low-power, and small form factor solution to drift-free high-resolution vertical positioning by fusing MEMS accelerometers with MEMS barometric altimeter. In this system, the highly responsive but drift-prone aspect of the MEMS accelerometers is stabilized by barometric altimeter and high-fidelity height tracking is achieved. Typical vertical human movements such as walking up or down a staircase can be tracked in real-time with this system. The height tracking performance is benchmarked against a reference system using a tactical-grade IMU and an error analysis is performed.