LORD Sensing inertial sensors designed for dynamic environments

LORD Sensing MicroStrain has launched a new line of rugged inertial sensors, which the company said will fill a void in the marketplace.

“The sensors respond to a market need for a sensing solution that offers better attitude and positioning accuracy and dynamic response in locations such as on the boom of an excavator or frame of a wheel loader,” said Chris Arnold, LORD Sensing product manager. “Customers are replacing traditional rotary and linear position sensors that provide less rich data on machine position and motion.”

Designed for use in demanding environments for dynamic inclination and positioning, the MV5-AR inertial sensors are designed for off-highway and military vehicles; marine and mobile robot applications; and the autonomous vehicle market.

The rugged, compact, state-of-the-art inertial sensors utilize LORD Corporation’s proven fifth-generation high-performance industrial-grade solid-state six-degrees-of-freedom (6-DOF) micro-electromechanical (MEMS) accelerometer and gyro inertial sensor technology.

Already successfully deployed on ground robots and heavy-machinery, intended applications include autosteer and terrain compensation; dynamic incline detection (roll, pitch, rotation); vehicle stability and leveling; platform control, alignment and stabilization; operator feedback; and precision navigation.

The MV5-AR model has a compact and rugged reinforced PBT housing fully sealed for immersion, pressure wash (IP67, IP69K) as well as a rugged, reliable molded-in AMPSEAL 16 connector. Each sensor is fully calibrated and temperature compensated, the company said.

The MV5-AR models offer:

• Low-cost, compact size that is among the smallest form factor in its class.
• Full 360-degree measurement range about all axes; it can be mounted in any orientation.
• Full accuracy over the entire operational temperature range of -40°C to 85°C.
• CAN J1939 communication.
• Auto-adaptive extended Kalman filter for optimal dynamic accuracy.
• The MV5-AR provides inertial and slope J1939 messages in its standard configuration. Customized CAN protocols and messages are available.

LORD Sensing has also expanded its GX5 portfolio to offer the 3DM-CX5 inertial sensor. With compact chassis or board mount option for embedded applications, the CV5 and CX5 are interchangeable with the same mounting footprint and communication protocol. Each sensor is fully calibrated and temperature compensated. Models offer:

• Low-cost, compact size and full 360-degree measurement range about all axes.
• Full accuracy over the entire operational temperature range of -40°C to 85°C.
• Auto-adaptive extended Kalman filter for optimal dynamic accuracy and on-vehicle performance.