AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGIES
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New MEMS IMU Offers Gyro-Compassing Performance With Few Export Restrictions
New MEMS IMU Offers Gyro-Compassing Performance With Few Export Restrictions
Honeywell’s HGuide i700 IMU delivers resilient true‑north navigation when GNSS is denied, with near‑nav performance, gyro‑compassing and low SWaP‑C.
What You Will Learn in This Article
- Why resilient inertial navigation is critical for autonomous platforms operating in GNSS-degraded or denied environments across air, land, and maritime domains.
- How the HGuide i700 IMU delivers near-navigation-grade performance using MEMS technology, gyro‑compassing, and Earth‑rate sensing to enable true‑north alignment without external aids.
- What makes the HGuide i700 practical for global deployment, including its low SWaP‑C design, export‑free availability, proven architecture, and suitability for demanding marine and undersea operations.
Innovators developing the next generation of medium to long range autonomous aerial, ground and marine vehicles need resilient navigation systems that deliver trusted position, velocity and attitude data when global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals may be degraded or unavailable.
Honeywell delivers the best available solution with the new HGuide i700 inertial measurement unit (IMU). The HGuide i700 is the one of the first micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) based near-navigation-grade IMUs that can provide gyro-compassing performance with the addition of Earth-rate sensing technology that enables true-north alignment without external aids.
HGuide i700 – Proven Architecture, No Expert Restrictions
It uses micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology in a low size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) package that makes it particularly appealing for marine applications, according to Darren Fisher, International Business Development lead for Honeywell’s HGuide business line.
"These features make the i700 ideal for marine and other applications where GNSS signals may not be available for extended periods. The HGuide i700 uses the same basic architecture as the HGuide 3900, an IMU that has already delivered reliable performance under the most demanding conditions."
— Darren Fisher, International Business Development Lead for Honeywell’s HGuide Business Line
“However, the HGuide i700 requires no export authorization for most countries, which makes it the ideal choice for global deployment in applications from uncrewed aerial, ground and marine vehicles, both on the surface and undersea, to mobile mapping systems, robotics and stabilized payloads,” Fisher added. “It allows for precision navigation with aerospace-grade durability in a low SWaP-C package.”
Reliable, High Quality Supply Chain
The HGuide i700 will be manufactured in a Honeywell Aerospace facility dedicated to inertial sensors, which also produces the company’s navigation and tactical grade IMUs, including the HGuide 3900. This approach enables Honeywell to ensure production continuity, quality and reliability.
Honeywell demonstrated the HGuide i700 at Oceanology International in London in March.
The new IMU is well suited for use in marine environments, which often experience intermittent or unavailable GNSS, with few alternative navigation options. Despite these challenges, the HGuide i700 delivers trusted motion data to support reliable navigation for surface vessels and submerged platforms.
The HGuide i700 also supports gyro-compassing, meaning users can determine true north using Earth’s rotation to provide accurate heading for marine and undersea platforms even when GNSS isn’t available.
Six Decades of Innovation
With more than six decades of innovation in inertial reference systems, Honeywell Aerospace has helped define how aircraft, spacecraft and autonomous platforms navigate.
From early mechanical gyros to today’s advanced laser sensors and MEMS IMU technologies, Honeywell’s navigation solutions have been trusted across commercial aviation, defense, marine, and space, building a legacy of precision, reliability, and mission‑ready performance that continues to shape the future of resilient navigation.
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