An inertial measurement unit (IMU) is a sensor package that measures a body’s specific force and angular rate, typically combining a three-axis accelerometer and a three-axis gyroscope, often with a magnetometer. By integrating these measurements it estimates orientation, velocity, and relative motion without external references. IMUs are central to motion tracking, navigation, and stabilisation in robotics, XR, and aerospace.
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- Raw inertial measurements drift over time, so IMUs are commonly fused with vision, GPS, or magnetic references through Kalman or complementary filters to bound error. MEMS fabrication has made IMUs small and inexpensive enough to embed in headsets, controllers, drones, and wearable trackers.