A redundant aircraft attitude system based on miniaturized gyro clusters data fusion

The paper presents a redundant strap-down attitude system which uses three miniaturized gyro sensors linear clusters in the detection unit. The data from the sensors in each of the three clusters are fused by using a statistical method derived from the maximal ratio combining method, in order to improve the useful angular speed signal measured by the detection unit. In the paper are successively exposed the data fusion algorithm and the theoretical background of the attitude system. Finally, are shown the Matlab/Simulink software implementation and experimental validation of the redundant inertial attitude system. To perform the experimental validation of the developed redundant attitude system some data were simultaneously acquired from a three-dimensional redundant gyro sensors unit, especially realized for this action, and from an integrated navigator INS/GPS. Both systems were boarded on a testing car which played the role of the monitored vehicle. The INS/GPS system was used as reference system to evaluate the errors of attitude angles determination. The three-dimensional redundant gyro sensors unit contained twelve gyros disposed in three clusters of four sensors each, along the x, y and z axes of the body frame.