Xsens Upgrades IMUs With Heave Feature For Wave Motion Compensation

Xsens announced a capability upgrade for its industrial-grade Xsens Sirius and Xsens Avior inertial measurement units (IMUs). The new Heave feature delivers centimeter-level vertical displacement measurement, enabling real-time stabilization and wave compensation in a wide range of marine applications.

Marine engineers can now access comprehensive motion data – roll, pitch, yaw, and Heave – from a single compact sensor. This eliminates the need for external processing or for oversized tactical-grade systems while maintaining the precision required for offshore platforms, vessels, docking systems, marine robots, buoys, and surveying equipment.

The Heave output operates at up to 100Hz, providing the real-time response needed in active stabilization and wave compensation systems. All processing happens on-device, simplifying system integration and reducing latency.

Xsens Motion Reference Units (MRUs) – IMUs with Heave capability – deliver real-time Heave accuracy better than 5cm for wave periods up to 29s. This covers most marine applications. For longer wave periods up to 40s, accuracy is approximately 6cm, twice the range supported by comparable industrial-grade MRUs.

The algorithm uses proprietary phase correction and bias estimation to mitigate the effect of drift over extended operating periods. Users can also define offset points – Center of Rotation (COR) and Point of Interest