Trajectory reconstruction by integration of GPS and a swarm of MEMS accelerometers: model and analysis of observability

We consider the problem of trajectory reconstruction for the mobile mapping system Davide. Davide is equipped with a custom GPS/INS system and a number of dead-reckoning sensors, such as odometers, inclinometers, etc. We investigate the possibility of substituting the INS with a swarm of low cost MEMS accelerometers located in various positions on board the vehicle. An observability analysis shows the feasibility of the solution and the need of integrating the distributed MEMS sensing architecture with a positioning sensor such as the GPS.