The method to improve the performance of an Inertial Navigation System using a turntable

An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle generally has the function to cruise autonomously without the contact with its external environment. Therefore the AUV is equipped with an Inertial Navigation System (INS) in order to measure its own current position in real time. However it has the error which increases with the passage of time. For that reason, it is very difficult that AUV cruises for a long time autonomously according to only the INS. In this paper, the method to improve the performance of an INS is described. In the method, the INS was put on the turntable, and the rotation speed and the rotation direction of it was controlled. As the result, the position error of the INS was reduced, and its performance improved spectacularly as compared with a usual one.