Bosch Sensortec launches the BMI085, a high-performance 6-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). The device integrates a 3-axis, 16-bit MEMS acceleration sensor and a 3-axis, 16-bit MEMS gyroscope in a single compact package.
This IMU is suited for demanding virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications plus navigation, body/human motion tracking, and high-end gaming. The compact MEMS sensor package combines a low-drift gyroscope with a low-noise accelerometer to significantly reduce the unpleasant motion sickness effect. Its ultra-precise instantaneous detection of head movements reduces time lag to an almost imperceptible minimum. Allegedly, as a result, manufacturers can create a more authentic and immersive VR and AR experience that enables headset users to engage their virtual environments for longer periods without requiring frequent breaks.
The IMU delivers a low motion-to-photon latency of less than 3 ms and achieves near perfect stability in environments with high temperature fluctuations as often encountered in continuous HMD (head-mounted display) or AR headset scenarios. This further improves accuracy, which is critical in today's lightning fast high-definition AR/VR applications.
The sensor’s accelerometer has a temperature coefficient offset of typically less than 0.2 mg/K and temperature coefficient sensitivity of 0.002 %/K. Bias instability of the gyroscope is typically below 2°/h.
The gyroscope features a robust closed-loop analog-to-digital conversion mechanism. The accelerometer achieves a noise density under 120 μg/√Hz and the IMU’s accuracy is further boosted by data synchronization of the accelerometer and gyroscope.
The BMI085 is housed in a compact 3.0 x 4.5 x 0.95 mm³ package and is pin-to-pin compatible with the BMI055 IMU. The BMI085 will be available for distributors end of May 2018. While you’re waiting, checkout a BMI085 datasheet.