Scientists in Tomsk, in Siberia, have come up with Russia’s first sensors for autonomous drone navigation, announced the website of the Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) that has developed the sensors.

In this project, TPU researchers are offering an intelligent inertial module that incorporates the functions of three advanced microelectromechanical (MEMS) sensors, namely gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer. The gyroscope gauges an object’s angular velocity; the accelerometer measures acceleration; and the magnetometer helps determine the cardinal directions.

The inertial module with all the three functions brought together offers a full-fledged self-contained navigation system, versatile enough to be mounted on a range of object types.

“Our sensors are shockproof, withstanding an impact of up to 30,000g (where g is gravitational acceleration—Editor’s note), and operate in a broad temperature range between -40°C and +105°C,” said Associate Professor Tamara Nesterenko of TPU’s Electronic Engineering Department who has led the research.