IMU

IMU stands for Inertial Measurement Unit. It is a device that measures the orientation and motion of a robot. Specifically, typical IMUs have three sensors:

• Accelerometer: This measures linear acceleration by measuring forces exerted on the device. On Earth this usually means the force of gravity, but other forces are measured as well.
• Gyroscope: This measures angular velocity, or the rate of rotation around an axis. This is done by measuring the Coriolis force, which is proportional to the object’s rotation.
• Magnetometer: This measures the orientation of the device relative to the Earth’s magnetic field. This is used to determine the device’s heading.