Kite Flight Monitored with Miniature Sensors

Inertial sensors can provide a wealth of orientation, position, and timing information for independently operating machines. The need to extract reliable inertial data in unmanned and remote applications continues to demand more precise and autonomous sensors. In a project with the Quad Cities Collaboration (QC Co-Lab) and Hackerspace Laboratory, MicroStrain’s miniature inertial sensor was used to demonstrate real-time wireless monitoring of a lightweight kite during flight. The solution captured and communicated continuous acceleration, angular rate, magnetic field, and GPS location without impacting flight performance. Furthermore, the flexible system supported the development of a custom graphic interface. The development of smaller, more costeffective inertial sensors promotes their adoption in a growing number of fields with an emphasis on integrating high performance sensors in everyday applications.

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