SBG Systems has launched the Ekinox Series, a new product range of tactical-grade inertial systems which bring “robust and cost-effective MEMS [Micro Electro Mechanical Systems] to the Fiber Optic Gyro (FOG) level.” This series consists of two ITAR Free models; the Ekinox AHRS which provides 0.05° of 3D attitude and 5 cm heave, and the Ekinox INS which delivers additional 2 cm positioning. Mineral exploration and mining applications include unmanned mining vehicles or all terrain vehicle control, with both surface and underground potential. Ekinox INS includes a GNSS receiver and can be connected to a RTK GPS. The ITAR Free Ekinox AHRS & Ekinox INS will be available in April 2013.

The company states: “The Ekinox series has been designed for harsh environments and high demanding applications. Its IP68 enclosure is constructed of aluminum and every system has been intensively calibrated and tested. More than offering a high attitude accuracy, Ekinox hardware outputs data at 200 Hz, with a 3 milliseconds latency, and very low noise on Euler Angles (< 0.03°). All data can be recorded into the 4 GB internal data logger, displayed in real-time throughout an intuitive embedded interface, and analyzed in the sbgCenter software.

Ekinox AHRS is an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS). It delivers a 0.05° attitude over 360° and 5 cm heave, surge and sway. Ekinox INS, the second model, is an Inertial Navigation System (INS). Providing the same performance, it additionally delivers a 2 cm position thanks to its embedded high end GNSS receiver. To further enhance performance in every field of use, up to four external aiding equipments can be simultaneously connected to Ekinox INS, including RTK GNSS, Odometer, DVL and EM Log.

For an unmanned ground vehicle or to geo-reference point clouds and images, Ekinox comes with numerous features. Combined with an odometer and a dual antenna RTK GPS, Ekinox INS outputs a 2 cm position at 200 Hz. Ekinox is also very powerful for orientation, positioning and stabilisation of on-board equipment such as satcomms antennas and gyro-stabilised cameras.