Xsens has released MT Software Suite 4.3, with a wide range of improvements for the MTi 10-series and MTi 100-series.
Active Heading Stabilization
The feature that stands out in this release is Active Heading Stabilization (AHS). For most applications, the AHS algorithm means a 20 times improvement compared to pure gyroscope dead reckoning. Especially when traditional heading tracking with magnetometers is not possible, AHS is the best and most cost-effective solution. Typical applications that can benefit from AHS are e.g. agricultural vehicles, indoor robotics, satcom on the move (SOTM) and hand held (laser) scanners.
The movie above shows the MTi on a robotic vacuum cleaner. The heading of the MTi without AHS drifts up to 50 degrees after 17 minutes. This is mainly caused by gyro bias. The heading of the MTi with AHS differs only 1.2 deg from the initial orientation. Note that the docking position of the vacuum cleaner has some tolerance. No prior calibration has been applied.
AHS is available immediately as a free firmware upgrade to all MTi customers as part of the just released MT Software Suite 4.3.
MTi 100-series sensor characterization
The MTi 100-series uses superior quad-structure gyroscopes with a bias stability of ~10 º/h. With the latest insights, the characterization of these sensors have been optimized. This improves the orientation solution with up to 20%, especially under challenging conditions, e.g. high dynamics.
Full support for 64-bit and Linux, ROS Node
Software Suite 4.3 is the first MT Software Suite that installs a 64-bit version. This allows faster response on large files. The MT Software Suite, including Firmware Updater is supported for 32-bit and 64-bit Linux systems as well. On request, a beta-version of MT Software Suite 4.3 is available for Android (ARMv7, version 4.4.2). A ROS node, coded by Xsens, can be found on https://github.com/xsens/xsens_mti_ros_node.
Robustness and stability
For seamless integration of the MTi Motion Trackers in (embedded) applications, a very stable and robust system is required. With several improvements in reading/writing cycles for all products and GPS system tweaks in the MTi-G-700, the firmware is the most stable version so far. Therefore, it is highly recommended to update the firmware.
MT Software Suite 4.3 and detailed release note are now available from www.movella.com/support/software-documentation
