Individual Autonomous Navigation System

Abstract The article presents the Individual Autonomous System Navigation (IANS) supporting–rescuer or firemen in terms of navigation. Basic assumptions, which such a system has to fulfill in terms of functionality and accuracy, are presented. The concept of the ISAN system is based on the implementation of inertial navigation system which the only one to permit fully autonomous functioning. Measurement sensors of the navigation system with microprocessor board are placed in the rescuer’s shoe. To limit the escalation of the navigation errors value, which in the case of inertial navigation rises exponentially, a procedure of navigation parameters upgrading at every step of the rescuer is introduced to the proposed system. This procedure guarantees the required accuracy of navigation achievement. The article describes a developed and manufactured demonstrator of the technology and presents main results of its research. The research conducted in a building consisted in walking on the same level several hundred meters in less than 10 minutes. A walking test with a change of walking height was also performed in order to estimate the accuracy of the vertical channel. Results of the demonstrator’s tests let us conclude that the error of navigation is below 1% of the travelled distance and the accuracy is linear in respect to time. The achieved accuracy is fully sufficient for a practical IANS application.