Abstract
Systems for accurate attitude and position monitoring of large structures, such as bridges, tunnels, and offshore platforms are changing in recent years thanks to the exploitation of sensors based on Micro-ElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) as an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). Currently adopted solutions are, in fact, mainly based on fiber optic sensors (characterized by high performance in attitude estimation to the detriment of relevant costs large volumes and heavy weights) and integrated with a Global Position System (GPS) capable of providing low-frequency or single-update information about the position. To provide a cost-effective alternative and overcome the limitations in terms of dimensions and position update frequency, a suitable solution and a corresponding prototype, exhibiting performance very close to those of the traditional solutions, are presented and described hereinafter. The solution leverages a real-time Kalman filter that, along with the proper features of the MEMS inertial sensor and Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS, allows achieving performance in terms of attitude and position estimates suitable for this kind of application. The results obtained in a number of tests underline the promising reliability and effectiveness of the solution in estimating the attitude and position of large structures. In particular, several tests carried out in the laboratory highlighted high system stability; standard deviations of attitude estimates as low as 0.04° were, in fact, experienced in tests conducted in static conditions. Moreover, the prototype performance was also compared with a fiber optic sensor in tests emulating actual operating conditions; differences in the order of a few hundredths of a degree were found in the attitude measurements.
Highlights
In recent years, a growing interest in solutions for monitoring the attitude and position of large structures has pervaded both scientific and industrial research [1,2,3]
Exploited techniques are mainly based on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs) and Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) [7,8], which use a double integration process of raw accelerometer and gyroscope readings to estimate position and attitude
Sensors, the authors propose a high accuracy real-time solution to monitor the attitude and position of structures based on the integration in a fifteen-state Kalman filter of an IMU involving a Micro-ElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) tri-axial accelerometer and tri-axial gyroscope and an Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) GNSS
Summary
A growing interest in solutions for monitoring the attitude and position of large structures (especially bridges, tunnels, and offshore platforms) has pervaded both scientific and industrial research [1,2,3]. Two GNSS modules were installed on the structure and one at the base station, in such a way that the threedimensional coordinates were exploited to obtain the trajectory and relative geographic north position of the structure with high accuracy. Based on the discussed solutions and to overcome the considered limitations of MEMS sensors, the authors propose a high accuracy real-time solution to monitor the attitude and position of structures based on the integration in a fifteen-state Kalman filter of an IMU involving a MEMS tri-axial accelerometer and tri-axial gyroscope and an RTK GNSS module. The first module, installed on the structure to be monitored (e.g., bridges, tunnels, offshore platforms, and similar), consists of a microcontroller responsible for acquiring and processing the data from the IMU and GPS RTK module through an error-state Kalman filter and returning the attitude and position estimates.
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