Swift Navigation and Carnegie Robotics introduce Duro Inertial

Duro Inertial fuses GNSS and inertial measurements into a combined solution. (Photo: Swift Navigation)

Swift Navigation and Carnegie Robotics LLC (CRL) have released their second joint product, Duro Inertial.

Duro Inertial is a ruggedized version of Swift Navigation’s Piksi Multi dual-frequency real-time kinematic (RTK) GNSS receiver combined with CRL’s SmoothPose sensor fusion algorithm, which fuses GNSS and inertial measurements into a combined solution.

The blending of GNSS and inertial measurements provides a dead-reckoning capability that allows Duro Inertial to provide a highly accurate, continuous position solution during brief GNSS outages and to deliver a robust precision navigation solution in harsh GNSS environments.

Duro Inertial is an evolution of Swift and CRL’s first joint product, Duro. Building on the on-board MEMS inertial measurement unit (IMU) that exists in Duro today, Duro Inertial harnesses CRL’s loosely coupled (LC) sensor fusion algorithm, SmoothPose, to blend GNSS and inertial inputs, providing a smoother, more available and more robust position, velocity and time (PVT) solution, the companies said.

Duro Inertial seamlessly blends CRL’s SmoothPose GNSS+INS algorithms with Swift Navigation’s Starling Positioning Engine to deliver a highly-accurate LC positioning solution even in GNSS / RTK denied environments.

The inertial aiding feature can operate with RTK, autonomous GNSS and satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) position solutions from Starling. Duro Inertial also inherits the full set of features from Duro and Piksi Multi including the light-weight SBP communication protocol, interoperability with legacy protocols such as NMEA output and RTCMv3 input, compatibility with RTK corrections services such as Skylark, Swift’s Cloud Correction Service and many third-party corrections services, and quad-constellation dual-frequency RTK navigation.

The combination of Duro Inertial’s positioning accuracy and its ruggedized enclosure that protects against weather, moisture, vibration, dust and water immersion makes it suitable for construction, mining, logistics, positive train control, robotics and agriculture applications.

“We are excited to introduce our second collaboration with Carnegie Robotics and build on the success of the Duro ruggedized receiver launched last year,” said Timothy Harris, co-founder and CEO of Swift Navigation. “The combination of Carnegie Robotics’ advanced inertial technology and robotics expertise with Swift’s positioning solution will enable an even broader customer segment to benefit from highly-accurate positioning.”

“Duro Inertial is the culmination of our partnership with Swift over the past two years,” added John Bares, CEO of Carnegie Robotics. “Working together we are able to deliver a consistent and highly-accurate positioning solution to benefit a variety of robotics and industrial applications.”

Duro Inertial is scheduled to be available at for purchase in the fourth quarter and is now available for select customer testing.