One of the primary differences between industrial and tactical inertial measurement units is the price. Industrial sensors range in price from about $100 to over $1,000. Tactical IMUs are much more accurate, and, therefore, much more costly. They range from about $5,000 to more than $25,000 per unit. Watch the video below as Carson Herbert, Vice President of Sales with Inertial Sense, explains the Inertial Sense solution to these high prices, when evaluating tactical grade IMUs vs. Industrial grade IMUs.

 

Differences Between Tactical and Industrial Grade IMU

An industrial-grade IMU is moderately cost-effective. It is often used in industrial robotics and vehicles. A tactical grade IMU, like the Inertial Sense IMX-5, offers five times the improvement in precision accuracy, .04 degree dynamic roll and pitch, improved software and hardware, and the ability to navigate denied environments.

 

Lowering the Price of a Tactical IMU

The cost of IMUs has long been prohibitive. Inertial Sense was excited to be able to offer tactical grade IMUs for as low as $500 per unit with even lower volume pricing. However, the company wanted to provide a better cost to customers who needed to purchase large numbers of tactical IMUs. After much effort, research, and engineering, the feat was accomplished.

The new tactical grade IMX5 is now strategically priced at $275 per unit. Those customers who buy at high volumes will find their prices to be as low as $100 or even less, depending on the number of items they purchase.

 

How Can the Price Be So Low?

Customers often ask how the prices can be a fraction of the cost of other suppliers. It is very simple. Inertial Sense invested significant time into finding the right, low-cost materials to make the tactical IMUs. Those materials and a sophisticated algorithm allow customers to save up to 75 percent of the normal cost.

The customer does not lose the accuracy they need. Instead, they gain the ability to save money on excellent equipment.

Do you want to learn more about the tactical grade IMUs offered by Inertial Sense? Contact Carson Herbert at sales@inertialsense.com or call his direct line at (801) 477-4689.

 

Learn More:

The 4 Grades Of IMUs (Inertial Measurement Units)

Introducing The IMX-5, A Low-Cost, Tactical Grade IMU

IMU Sensors 101 – Pros & Cons of Sensor Types

 

Video Transcript

Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:15 Industrial vs. Tactical
0:49 Tactical Grade
1:30 Comparable Devices
1:52 Inertial Sense Device

 

One of the primary differences that you’re going to find between industrial and tactical navigation is that tactical IMUs and industrial IMUs vary in the cost of each one.

 

0:15 Tactical Grade IMUs vs Industrial Grade IMUs: Industrial vs. Tactical

In industrial navigation, if you look at market data, you’ll see that industrial sensors are going to run you anywhere from one hundred dollars to a thousand dollars. Tactical inertial navigation systems or IMUs can run anywhere from five thousand to twenty-five thousand dollars. 

If you look back at Inertial Sense’s previous industrial navigation solution, you will know that that product used to be listed at around 500 per piece, and in volume, it was very difficult to achieve a price point lower than one hundred dollars. 

 

0:49 Tactical Grade IMUs vs Industrial Grade IMUs: Tactical Grade

Our new tactical grade IMX-5, for one single piece, is strategically priced at two hundred dollars per unit. In volume, we have found a way to reduce our prices below a hundred dollars per piece at high volumes, and if you are able to order in volume, we could reduce our price even further to sub-100 dollar price points. 

So based on the price point of this IMX-5, you are able to receive a tactical-grade inertial measurement unit at a fraction of the cost of what a standard industrial navigation solution will cost you through some of our competitors. 

 

1:30 Tactical Grade IMUs vs Industrial Grade IMUs: Comparable Devices

More recently, we received inquiries from various different customers, one of which sent us an email that stated the comparable devices from VectorNav, Inertial Labs, Spartan, and Accents are more than double the price for about the same performance. The client continued to ask, what am I missing, and how is this possible?

 

1:52 Inertial Sense Device

The fact of the matter is that the customer is not missing a single thing. This is possible because Inertial Sense has found a way to use low-cost materials and use a highly sophisticated algorithm data set to create the accuracy that the customer is looking for. This is no trick. This is no joke. 

If you want a tactical grade inertial navigation system or inertial measurement unit at a fraction of the cost, potentially saving you 70 percent on your cost of materials, you need to reach out to Inertial Sense. Inertial Sense has made a transition from providing industrial-grade IMUs and inertial sensors to creating and manufacturing tactical-grade IMUs and INS solutions. 

For the first time ever, you can receive tactical-grade performance IMUs and INSs at the lowest possible market cost. If you’d like to learn more about our IMX-5 or have additional questions on the solution, you can send me an email at sales@inertialsense.com or call me at 801-477-4689. That’s my direct number. I look forward to hearing from you.