What is a Roll and Pitch Sensor?
When navigating the complexities of motion sensing and navigation systems, it is essential to understand the distinctions between devices and systems like Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), Inclinometers, Roll & Pitch sensors, Vertical Reference Units (VRU), Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS), Motion Reference Units (MRUs), Gyrocompasses, and GNSS-Aided Inertial Navigation Systems (GNSS/INS). Each serves specific purposes and offers different levels of functionality, accuracy, and application scope.
Roll & Pitch Sensor
Definition: A Roll & Pitch sensor, also known as a dynamic inclinometer, is a device designed to measure an object's attitude (roll and pitch). It incorporates gyroscopes to enhance its dynamic measurement capabilities. Compared to an inclinometer, a Roll & Pitch sensor is more advanced, featuring an onboard processing unit that performs basic sensor fusion by integrating gyroscope data. While it offers improved performance over inclinometers (compensating for errors caused by non-gravitational accelerations) it is less accurate than a VRU or MRU due to the use of lower-quality accelerometers, gyroscopes, and less sophisticated sensor fusion algorithms in its onboard processing unit.
Key Features:
Sensors Included: Accelerometers and gyroscopes.
- Output: Measures rotation around two axes, roll and pitch, with enhanced dynamic measurement capabilities compared to an inclinometer
- Functionality: It delivers improved attitude measurements (roll and pitch) in dynamic conditions compared to an inclinometer, but falls short of the accuracy achieved by a VRU or MRU.
- Applications: Used in less critical systems that do not require highly accurate roll and pitch measurements in dynamic conditions. These systems can tolerate some movement and vibration, but their accuracy decreases as movement and vibration increase.
Example Uses:
- Orientation Monitoring: For smaller vessels, barges, and buoys.
- Control Systems Feedback: For stabilizer fins in smaller boats.
- Stabilizing Platforms: Such as cameras and antennas.
Selecting the appropriate sensor depends on the required measurements, environmental conditions, and budget.
- Use an IMU when you need raw acceleration and rotational data.
- Use an Inclinometer for simple, static tilt measurements.
- Use a Roll & Pitch Sensor for lower-level attitude measurements in a dynamic setting.
- Use a VRU when precise roll and pitch measurements are needed in a dynamic environment.
- Use an AHRS for roll, pitch, and heading data.
- Use an MRU for comprehensive motion data in dynamic marine environments.
- Use a Gyrocompass for accurate true north heading.
- Use a GNSS/INS for continuous, absolute position, velocity, and orientation data.
Related products
Usage area
50 m depth, IP 68
Connectors
Lemo or SubConn 8 or SubConn 16
Roll & Pitch accuracy
- 3000±0.05°
- 6000±0.02°
- 9000±0.01°
Heave accuracy
5 cm or 5.0%
Usage area
IP 65
Connectors
RJ45 or RJ50
Roll & Pitch accuracy
- 3000±0.05°
- 6000±0.02°
- 9000±0.01°
Heave accuracy
5 cm or 5.0%
Usage area
6000 m depth
Connectors
SubConn 8
Roll & Pitch accuracy
- 3000±0.05°
- 6000±0.02°
- 9000±0.01°
Heave accuracy
5 cm or 5.0%
Usage area
Hazardous areas
Connectors
Pigtail cable
Roll & Pitch accuracy
- 3000±0.05°
- 6000±0.02°
- 9000±0.01°
Heave accuracy
5 cm or 5.0%
Further reading
Advanced motion compensation for sonars introduced at Ocean Business 2025
MRUs for vessel performance optimisation in focus at Europort 2025
Research Project to Test Value of MRU Data for Vessel Performance and Carbon Reduction
Related questions
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What is the difference between the MRU Marine and MRU Marine SW?
- The MRU Marine has an IP-68 rating, uses a Lemo 16-pin connector and has indicator lights.
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When navigating the complexities of motion sensing and navigation systems, it is essential to understand the distinctions between devices and systems like Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), Inclinometers, Roll & Pitch sensors, Vertical Reference Units (VRU), Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS), Motion Reference Units (MRUs), Gyrocompasses, and GNSS-Aided Inertial Navigation Systems (GNSS/INS). Each serves specific purposes and offers different levels of functionality, accuracy, and application scope.
Gyrocompass
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The MRU Compact uses a standard RJ45 ethernet cable where power is supplied through Passive PoE (Power over Ethernet). In most cases you cannot connect the MRU directly to a an ethernet switch with PoE, since most of these are Active PoE.
We normally supply your first MRU Compact with a start kit containing a POE RJ45 spliter socket. You will only need standard RJ45 cat5 ethernet cables to connect the MRU to the spliter socket and the spliter socket to your PC or ethernet switch.
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