A drone must understand how it is moving - not only where it is.
GNSS provides an external position reference, but stable flight requires continuous, high-rate information about acceleration, rotation, and orientation. An inertial sensor supplies this motion data to the flight controller or navigation system, enabling the aircraft to respond quickly to wind, turbulence, vibration, payload movement, and changes in flight dynamics.
UAVs must also operate within strict size, weight, and power limitations. At the same time, GNSS signals may be blocked, reflected, degraded, or temporarily unavailable. The performance of the inertial sensor therefore affects more than basic flight stabilization. It influences navigation continuity, payload pointing, dead-reckoning performance, system reliability, and the amount of engineering work required to integrate and validate the aircraft.
Reliable inertial sensing helps maintain flight stability and navigation continuity in degraded and denied-GNSS conditions.
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High-rate attitude data for control loops. Independent gimbal control for cameras, LiDAR or ISR payloads.
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Accurate position, velocity and heading estimates.
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Dead reckoning during signal blockage, jamming or dropouts.
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SDKs, drivers, documentation and development kits reduce engineering effort.
The right navigation sensor depends on whether your application requires basic motion measurements, platform orientation, or a complete position and navigation solution.
In summary, an IMU is the best choice for raw motion sensing and custom control systems, an AHRS is ideal when accurate orientation is required, and a GNSS/INS is the preferred solution for reliable drone positioning and navigation.
An Inertial Measurement Unit outputs raw acceleration, angular velocity, and magnetic field data. It is commonly used for flight control, stabilization, embedded motion input, and systems that rely on custom sensor-fusion algorithms. Because an IMU provides relative motion measurements rather than absolute positioning, any position calculated by integrating IMU data alone will gradually drift over time.
An Attitude and Heading Reference System provides roll, pitch, and heading information. It is best suited for attitude control, platform orientation, and payload or camera stabilization. An AHRS can continue providing orientation when GNSS is unavailable, but it is not a complete position or navigation solution.
A GNSS/INS combines satellite positioning with inertial measurements to provide position, velocity, and attitude. It is designed for navigation-focused applications such as route following, BVLOS operations, return-to-base functions, and dead reckoning. During a temporary GNSS outage, the system can continue estimating its position using inertial data, although position uncertainty will increase until GNSS or another external aiding source becomes available again. For applications requiring higher positioning accuracy, RTK GNSS/INS solutions can provide centimeter-level position data when suitable correction data is available.
Best when minimum size and weight are key priorities and standard GNSS-aided positioning is sufficient. Its sub-gram SMD form factor enables deep integration, while connection to an external GNSS receiver provides flexibility in the system design.
Best when centimeter-level positioning and industrial-grade inertial performance are required. It combines RTK GNSS/INS capability with a compact OEM module and external GNSS receiver support, giving developers greater control over the receiver and integration architecture.
Best when the priority is high-performance orientation and inertial. A compact OEM design which delivers strong performance under vibration, dynamic motion. The broad interface support makes Avior even more suited to deeply embedded systems.
Best when navigation performance and reliability in demanding environments are priorities. Its compact, ruggedized IP68 design is built to withstand severe vibration, shock, dust and water, while supporting straightforward integration into embedded systems. Available from IMU to GNSS/INS and RTK GNSS/INS configurations.
ArduPilot and PX4 are the two dominant open-source autopilot stacks in professional and defence UAV development. Between them, they run on the majority of non-proprietary fixed-wing, multi-rotor, and VTOL platforms worldwide. Their widespread use is not accidental: both provide production-ready flight control algorithms, comprehensive mission planning, and an ecosystem of compatible hardware that allows teams to go from component selection to first flight in days rather than months.
Xsens MTI sensors are compatible with both.
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