Bench calibration technique for microelectromechanical gyroscopes based on a robot manipulator

DOI: 10.34759/vst-2023-1-190-197

Аuthors

Espinoza Valles A. S.

Samara National Research University named after Academician S.P. Korolev, 34, Moskovskoye shosse, Samara, 443086, Russia

e-mail: esalvator24@gmail.com

Abstract

Spacecraft orientation determining and angular motion control are among the crucial tasks being solved in the space-rocket engineering area. Measuring modules, including gyroscopes based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), are employed to solve this problem in the nano-class spacecraft. However, MEMS gyroscopes belong to the type of sensors of relatively medium and low measurement accuracy. Besides, space factors, such as cosmic radiation, solar activity, aerodynamic forces, or temperature gradients, lead to the sensor reading drift over time, depending on its stability. The sensors of inertial navigation systems are calibrated thereby automatically in flight. Despite this fact, the pre-flight ground calibration, which is necessary to be performed to confirm all sensors integrated into the system correspond to the minimum requirements placed on the space mission, occupies an important place. There are special turntables on the market for gyroscopes calibration, which set predefined turns at certain velocities and orientations, though they are rather costly. As of now, robot manipulators are widespread all over the world, and they are most often employed to perform certain motions with high precision. In this sense, robot manipulator represents a possible option for solving this issue. Thus, the article proposes reliable technique for bench calibration employing robot manipulator to eliminate systematic errors of commercial MEMS gyroscopes. The main idea of this technique is based on using the wrist of robot manipulator as a high-precision rotary device. The author proposes a modified six-position method in the form of the sequence of rotations to perform laboratory calibration. This technique allows determining systematic errors of the sensor output signals, particularly bias, scale factor and the axes non-orthogonality. Bench tests form a set of experimental data for subsequent processing by the calibration algorithms, and allow identifying all systematic errors and assess the degree of applicability of this bench. For this technique testing, a Strapdown Inertial Navigation System was manufactured, and bench tests were performed, which revealed the possibility of employing a robot manipulator as a calibration instrument. The features of the results of processing experimental measurement data during tests of commercial gyroscopes using this technique are described. The application of the developed approach leads to a five-fold reduction of the error by five times compared to to raw measurements.

Keywords:

MEMS gyroscopes calibration, mathematical model of measurement, modified six-position method, strapdown inertial navigation system

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