Seacraft ENC3 Inertial navigation unit?

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stuartv

Seeking the Light
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I just learned that Seacraft has an inertial navigation unit - the ENC3.

ENC3 | Seacraft

It has GPS, Compass, 3D gyroscope, and 3D accelerometers. The full kit to add to an existing scooter works out to USD$1600(-ish, converted from Euro).

It also has a speed sensor that you mount on your DPV and connect to it.

Supposedly, you can splash, do your dive (to a max of 300 meters depth!) and it will navigate you back to your entry point. I.e. serious submarine tech, now in scooter size!

Or, you can preload a track and it will guide you along it.

Do any of you have experience with this unit? Does it really work like they say? Does it have any "gotchas" that can mess up its ability to get you back to where you started?

If you splash from an anchored boat and drop down the anchor line to the bottom, all the while with your scooter clipped off and not being used, then fire it up and drive around some, park it some, swim with it some while its clipped off, and then eventually say "take me home", will it really, reliably get you there?

I also saw a video recently that Suex now also has something that does the same thing? (maybe it's the same unit?)

This sounds like a magic device! (so, I don't believe it....)
 
I am also interested in hearing some first hand reviews.

The web page never mentions "inertial."
 
I am also interested in hearing some first hand reviews.

The web page never mentions "inertial."

Maybe I am not tech-savvy enough. I thought 3D accelerometers means it is doing inertial guidance.
 
I would guess it is a speed and heading system, based on the info on that web page. Accelerometers have many uses. In digital compasses, accelerometers are used in compensating the calculated heading for device tilt. Generally, inexpensive accelerometers (MEMS type in consumer electronics) do not output a signal that is clean and stable enough for inertial navigation.
 
I'am looking into it too. It seems to me it uses inertial help to navigate, but I'am not sure how accurate it is. I don't expect it to be submarine grade inertial navigation. Howwever, knowing where you're going and where you have been (route traveled) is a real bonus to me.
 
Notice the little spinning flow meter.


 
Not sure how does it know that it actually moves vs being static in relationship to ground and the little speed sensing propeller is turned by just current.
 
I guess it has motion sensors so it knows if it's moving or not. Speed is always relative to the water, not exact ground speed. Just like an airplane.
 
It has a small prop to measure speed and acceleration sensor. No motion sensors.
 
Not sure how does it know that it actually moves vs being static in relationship to ground and the little speed sensing propeller is turned by just current.

If the propeller is turning, but the 3D accelerometer has not measured any acceleration, then it knows that the scooter is not moving and the prop is being turned by water passing.

Just a guess, but I would assume that the unit has to be calibrated at some point, where you tell it "you are not moving right now". After that, the 3D accelerometers would detect acceleration in any direction and know that it is now moving in that direction.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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