Epson unveils tiny inertial measurement unit at AUVSI for stabilization subsystems on unmanned vehicles

WASHINGTON, 18 Aug. 2013. Epson Electronics America in San Jose, Calif., is introducing the M-V340 inertial measurement unit (IMU) for unmanned vehicles and other space- and weight-sensitive applications. The unit is roughly the shape of a Chicklet piece of gum, and about the size of an M&M chocolate candy.

The company demonstrated the unit for the first time publicly this past week at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) 2013 conference and trade show in Washington. Company officials claim the M-V340 is the smallest IMU available today.

Designers can use the device for unmanned vehicle stability, but not for navigation on its own because it has no determine its actual position, company officials explain. It can be used together with a GPS receiver for navigation-quality positioning.

The six-degree-of-freedom measurement device can detect forward and backward movement, left and right movement, up and down movement, as well as roll, pitch, and yaw.

The M-V340 IMU has three axes of gyroscopes and accelerometers, and has built-in support for the SPI and UART industrial and aerospace interfaces. It measures 12 by 10 by 4 millimeters, and includes seven-degree-per-hour gyro bias instability.

Samples of the M-V340 will be available next fall, and volume production will begin in April 2014, Epson officials say. Applications include unmanned vehicles, down-hold drilling equipment, medical devices, and other aerospace and industrial products.

The device consumes 18 milliamps of power, and can withstand the effects of high vibration and shock. For more information contact Epson America Electronics America online at www.eea.epson.com.