Low Cost GPS/IMU Integrated Accident Detection and Location System

Abstract

Emergency Rescue Service could save many lives if the accident location could be intimated automatically. Accident location is generally acquired from Global Positioning System (GPS). However, location cannot be determined during GPS outage. This paper proposes an accident detection system by determining the deceleration from the accelerometers of a low cost Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) based Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). The three axes accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers data of the IMU were also programmed as Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS) to determine the orientation and the position of the vehicle during a GPS outage. Error in positional information were corrected by a Kalman filter during the availability of GPS. A communication module was programmed to send the accident data to the base station in real time. The test result showed the correct functioning of the accident detection and location information.