An embedded orientation estimation module for thin line towed arrays

In this paper, an orientation estimation module suitable for thin line towed arrays is developed. This module computes the orientation in real-time using on-board MEMS (Microelectromechanical systems) based three-axis magnetometer, gyroscope and accelerometer raw data. The computed orientation information is transferred to a central computer using CAN-BUS (Controller Area Network) which goes throughout the thin line towed array. The experiments performed show that the modules developed are able to estimate the orientation successfully.