The Role of High-Precision Inertial Navigation in Modern Marine Navigation
In contemporary marine navigation, as ships sail across complex marine environments—from coastal waterways with dense obstacles to open seas facing extreme weather—traditional navigation systems struggle to meet the demands for continuous, high-precision positioning and attitude control. Modern marine operations, such as precision berthing, offshore engineering operations, and long-distance autonomous navigation, require not only centimeter-level positioning accuracy but also reliable attitude and velocity data even during temporary GNSS signal outages.
Why Integrated GNSS/INS Matters in Marine Navigation
A momentary loss of GNSS signal or a slight attitude deviation can lead to navigation errors, endangering ship safety, damaging offshore structures, or disrupting operational efficiency. Marine environments are filled with electromagnetic interference, signal blockages from coastal terrain, and multipath effects from wave reflections—all of which demand a navigation system with strong anti-interference capabilities and continuous positioning performance.
Core Advantages of the AsteRx-i3 S Pro+ GNSS/INS Board
The AsteRx-i3 S Pro+ stands out as a professional-grade GNSS/INS solution tailored for marine navigation, integrating high-precision positioning, inertial navigation, and robust environmental adaptability. Its core advantages lie in the “integrated reliability and flexible applicability” design philosophy.
Multi-Constellation, High-Channel Signal Reception
With 544 hardware channels, the board supports simultaneous tracking of full-constellation GNSS signals (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, SBAS), ensuring stable signal acquisition even in complex marine electromagnetic environments or near-coastal signal-obscured areas.
GNSS+ Technology for Marine-Resilient Performance
Its proprietary GNSS+ technology suite provides comprehensive safeguards for marine navigation:
AIM+ advanced anti-jamming and anti-spoofing technology mitigates electromagnetic interference from ship equipment and external threats.
APME+ multipath suppression eliminates signal reflection interference from sea surfaces and ship superstructures.
LOCK+ technology ensures stable signal tracking amid ship vibrations and rough sea conditions.
FUSE+ sensor fusion integrates GNSS positioning with IMU data, enabling continuous dead reckoning during GNSS outages.
Centimeter-Level Precision and Rapid Initialization
The board delivers centimeter-level RTK-INS positioning accuracy (horizontal: 0.6 cm + 0.5 ppm; vertical: 1 cm + 1 ppm) and rapid initialization in just 7 seconds, meeting the high-precision requirements of marine operations such as offshore construction and precision navigation. It also provides reliable attitude data (heading accuracy down to 0.15°, pitch/roll to 0.02°) for ship stability control.
Integration into Marine Navigation Systems
Integrating the AsteRx-i3 S Pro+ into marine navigation platforms translates its performance into practical operational value:
Continuous Positioning and Attitude Control
The FUSE+ sensor fusion enables seamless dead reckoning—even during 30-second GNSS outages, horizontal deviation remains within 3.006 m—ensuring uninterrupted navigation data for autonomous ships and offshore operations.
Flexible Installation for Marine Scenarios
The tethered IMU design allows flexible installation: the main board can be mounted in a spacious area, while the IMU is placed close to the motion point-of-interest, adapting to the limited space and complex structural layout of ships.
Low Power Consumption and Robust Environmental Adaptability
With low power consumption (1.2 W – 1.4 W) and military-grade ruggedness (operating temperature: -20°C to +85°C, MIL-STD-810G vibration resistance), it operates reliably in harsh marine conditions such as extreme temperatures, high humidity, and strong vibrations.
Easy Integration with Marine Equipment
Intuitive Web UI, comprehensive SDKs, and compatibility with standard data formats (SBF, NMEA 0183, RTCM, CMR) simplify integration with ship navigation systems, radar, and other sensors, reducing deployment time.
The AsteRx-i3 S Pro+ : a Reliable Foundation for Marine Navigation
The board injects a “precision and continuity gene” into marine navigation systems, directly influencing operational safety and efficiency.
Operational Safety and Efficiency Enhancement
High-precision positioning and continuous attitude data reduce navigation errors, minimizing collision risks and improving operational efficiency for offshore engineering, coastal patrols, and commercial shipping.
Versatility Across Marine Scenarios
From small fishing boats to large cargo ships, from offshore wind farm construction to coastal surveying, the AsteRx-i3 S Pro+ adapts to diverse marine navigation needs.
Future-Proof Marine Navigation Investment
Equipped with full-constellation support and advanced sensor fusion technology, the board meets the evolving demands of autonomous marine navigation and intelligent offshore operations, making it a long-term, future-proof investment.
Summary:
Modern marine navigation requires continuous, centimeter-level positioning and stable attitude data, even when GNSS signals are temporarily lost due to interference, coastal obstacles, or harsh weather. Traditional GNSS alone cannot meet these demands, making integrated GNSS/INS systems essential for precision berthing, offshore engineering, and autonomous navigation.
