HRL says self-calibrating navigation sensors correct persistent drift

HRL Laboratories, an IBM company, says it has developed a compact inertial navigation device that continuously corrects sensor drift, a problem that limits conventional miniature systems to a handful of minutes of navigation. The device tracks movement without satellite signals and is about the size of a soup can. Its AutoCal system takes simultaneous measurements in opposite directions to separate unwanted sensor bias from actual motion, then removes that bias from subsequent readings. The approach could support lightweight vehicles such as drones where GPS is disrupted. Navigation still requires a known starting position, and production is expected to begin in 2027.