Analysis of Inertial Measurement Units Performances Under Dynamic Conditions

Inertial measurement units (IMUs) are nowadays widespread in the automotive industry. Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) IMUs are expanding because of several advantages of this technology. However, a significant research gap neglected by both manufacturers and recent literature regards the behavior of their performances under dynamic conditions and operating under harsh environments. Before the actual installation on the field, the performances of such devices in the presence of vibration sources and mechanical load stresses must be investigated. Trying to fill this gap, this article investigates the behavior of MEMS-based IMU under dynamic conditions and random vibration tests. The proposed experimental platform also includes a specific device used to generate repeatable, controlled movement, ensuring a dynamic characterization. The analysis consists of both time and frequency domains, with specific metrics defined to evaluate the negative effects of harsh conditions on IMU performances. The results aim to highlight the limitation of the device under test when used in the automotive industry, i.e., in the presence of significant vibration noise.