{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,1]],"date-time":"2026-03-01T02:44:35Z","timestamp":1772333075112,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":18,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2011,12,22]],"date-time":"2011-12-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1324512000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Obtaining precise attitude information is essential for aircraft navigation and control. This paper presents the results of the attitude determination using an in-house designed low-cost MEMS-based flight information measurement unit. This study proposes a quaternion-based extended Kalman filter to integrate the traditional quaternion and gravitational force decomposition methods for attitude determination algorithm. The proposed extended Kalman filter utilizes the evolution of the four elements in the quaternion method for attitude determination as the dynamic model, with the four elements as the states of the filter. The attitude angles obtained from the gravity computations and from the electronic magnetic sensors are regarded as the measurement of the filter. The immeasurable gravity accelerations are deduced from the outputs of the three axes accelerometers, the relative accelerations, and the accelerations due to body rotation. The constraint of the four elements of the quaternion method is treated as a perfect measurement and is integrated into the filter computation. Approximations of the time-varying noise variances of the measured signals are discussed and presented with details through Taylor series expansions. The algorithm is intuitive, easy to implement, and reliable for long-term high dynamic maneuvers. Moreover, a set of flight test data is utilized to demonstrate the success and practicality of the proposed algorithm and the filter design.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s120100001","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2011,12,22]],"date-time":"2011-12-22T12:22:42Z","timestamp":1324556562000},"page":"1-23","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":38,"title":["Attitude Determination Using a MEMS-Based Flight Information Measurement Unit"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Der-Ming","family":"Ma","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Aerospace Engineering, Tamkang University, Tamsui, New Taipei City 25137, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jaw-Kuen","family":"Shiau","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Aerospace Engineering, Tamkang University, Tamsui, New Taipei City 25137, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"I.-Chiang","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Aerospace Engineering, Tamkang University, Tamsui, New Taipei City 25137, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yu-Heng","family":"Lin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Aerospace Engineering, Tamkang University, Tamsui, New Taipei City 25137, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2011,12,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Collinson, R.P.G. (1996). Introduction to Avionics, Chapman & Hall.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-94-011-0007-6"},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Demoz, G.E. (1998, January 20\u201323). A Low-Cost GPS\/Inertial Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS) for General Aviation Applications. Palm Spring, CA, USA."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"Caruso, M.J. (2000, January 13\u201316). Application of Magnetic Sensors for Low Cost Compass Systems. San Diego, CA, USA."},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"Demoz, G.E., Abriel, G., Elkaim, H., Powell, J.D., and Parkison, B.W. (2000, January 13\u201316). A Gyro-Free Quaternion-Based Attitude Determination System Suitable for Implementation Using Low Cost Sensors. San Diego, CA, USA."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109","DOI":"10.1016\/S0924-4247(03)00353-4","article-title":"Fuzzy Logic Based Closed-Loop Strapdown Attitude System for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)","volume":"107","author":"Hong","year":"2003","journal-title":"Sens. Actuat. A Phys"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"627","DOI":"10.1109\/TAES.2004.1310010","article-title":"Design of Multi-Sensor Attitude Determination Systems","volume":"40","author":"Demoz","year":"2004","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Aerospace Electron. Syst"},{"key":"ref_7","unstructured":"Wang, L., Xiong, S., Zhou, Z., Wei, Q., and Lan, J. (2005, January 17\u201319). Constrained Filtering Method for MAV Attitude Determination. Ottawa, ON, Canada."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Euston, M., Coote, P., Mahony, R., Kim, J., and Hamel, T. (2008, January 22\u201329). A Complementary Filter for Attitude Estimation of a Fixed-Wing UAV. Nice, France.","DOI":"10.1109\/IROS.2008.4650766"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3816","DOI":"10.3390\/s110403816","article-title":"Gain-Scheduled Complementary Filter Design for a MEMS Based Attitude and Heading Reference System","volume":"11","author":"Yoo","year":"2011","journal-title":"Sensors"},{"key":"ref_10","unstructured":"Wang, M., Yang, Y., Ronald, R.H., and Zhang, Y. (2004, January 26\u201329). Adaptive Filter for a Miniature MEMS Based Attitude and Heading Reference System. Monterey, CA, USA."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lam, Q.M., and Crassidis, J.L. (2007, January 3\u201310). Precision Attitude Determination Using a Multiple Model Adaptive Estimation Scheme. Big Sky, MT, USA.","DOI":"10.1109\/AERO.2007.352657"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"322","DOI":"10.1016\/j.measurement.2006.05.020","article-title":"A Linear Fusion Algorithm for Attitude Determination Using Low Cost MEMS-Based Sensors","volume":"40","author":"Zhu","year":"2007","journal-title":"Measurement"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2586","DOI":"10.3390\/s90402586","article-title":"An Artificial Neural Network Embedded Position and Orientation Determination Algorithm for Low Cost MEMS INS\/GPS Integrated Sensors","volume":"9","author":"Chiang","year":"2009","journal-title":"Sensors"},{"key":"ref_14","first-page":"190","article-title":"Design of a MEMS-Based Flight Information Measurement Unit for UAV Application","volume":"2","author":"Shiau","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Emerg. Trend. Eng. Appl. Sci"},{"key":"ref_15","unstructured":"Baruh, H. (1999). Analytical Dynamics, McGraw-Hill."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Simon, D. (2006). Optimal State Estimation, Wiley.","DOI":"10.1002\/0470045345"},{"key":"ref_17","unstructured":"Farrell, J., and Barth, M. (1999). The Global Positioning System & Inertial Navigation System, McGraw Hill."},{"key":"ref_18","unstructured":"Phillips, W.F. (2010). Mechanics of Flight, Wiley. [2nd ed]."}],"container-title":["Sensors"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/12\/1\/1\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T21:58:27Z","timestamp":1760219907000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/12\/1\/1"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2011,12,22]]},"references-count":18,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2012,1]]}},"alternative-id":["s120100001"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/s120100001","relation":{},"ISSN":["1424-8220"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1424-8220","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2011,12,22]]}}}