Low-cost, rapid prototyping of IMU and pressure monitoring system using an open source hardware design

Open source hardware is a type of hardware where the schematics and designs are made unrestricted and available to all. They are often accompanied by open source software. This can bring reliability, ease of debugging, and modular development for rapid prototyping using pre-written libraries. Merits of using open source hardware are discussed and then applied to a portable sensor system based on the open hardware Arduino-derived Jeenode microcontroller board. The system uses an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and seamless integration of other sensors, including a piezo-resistive pressure sensor. It is shown that open source hardware can help to increase rapid development, reduce costs, and encourage further development.