Inertial Labs introduces new tactical-grade MEMS IMU with 1°/hr gyro bias
Peter Felstead
Virginia-based Inertial Labs announced on 5 May 2025 that it has introduced a new a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) inertial measurement unit (IMU) called the IMU-H100.
The new IMU has been developed to enhance the tactical guidance and navigation capabilities of unmanned air, naval and land platforms and short-range missiles and precision-guided munitions – which must increasingly operate in a GPS-denied environment – as well as to address a variety of commercial applications.
IMUs measure angular velocity and linear acceleration using MEMS gyroscopes and accelerometers respectively. They have become essential in a wide range of guidance and navigation, orientation and stabilisation applications, particularly for short- and medium-range flight control systems.
The IMU is also a component of higher-order systems such as inertial navigation systems (INS), attitude and heading reference systems and motion reference units.
The tactical-grade IMU-H100 includes accelerometers and gyroscopes for all three axes and offers a gyro and accel bias of 1°/hr and 1 mg respectively. Inertial Labs asserts that the IMU-H100, which measures roughly 127 mm3 and weighs 160 g, also exceeds the performance of equivalent products on the market in terms of data rate, measurement range, stability and repeatability over harsh environmental conditions – including vibration, shock, high acceleration, spinning, temperature and acoustic noise.
The IMU-H100 is additionally designed for ease and speed of integration into customer platforms. It supports the Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) and Synchronous Data Link Control (SDLC) standards used in many legacy systems, making it ideal for retrofitting initiatives. Although manufactured in the United States it is ITAR free and is available with a lead time of weeks rather than months, according to Inertial Labs.
“The IMU-H100 is the latest addition to our large family of tactical-grade IMUs and couples an exceptional gyro and accelerometer repeatability bias with industry-leading performance and ruggedness,” Jamie Marraccini, vice president of Inertial Labs Products, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “Its design builds on over 20 years of innovation and enables the guidance and stabilisation required by both the commercial sector and aerospace and defense applications worldwide.”
Inertial Labs is a subsidiary of VIAVI Solutions: a global provider of network test, monitoring and assurance solutions as well as light management technologies.
