Robotics Community Gains Access to Xsens IMUs

Xsens, the manufacturer of motion sensing modules, has signed a sales distribution agreement with Clearpath Robotics, the manufacturer of robot development platforms, which will make it easier for R&D teams and university researchers to use the popular MTi-series of inertial measurement units (IMU, VRU, AHRS and GNSS/INS) in robot designs.

Under the arrangement, Ontario, Canada-based Clearpath Robotics has been appointed as an authorized distributor of Xsens’ MTi-series with a regional focus on Canada and the Eastern United States.

Clearpath Robotics enjoys close relationships with a broad community of researchers, academics and R&D teams who use robots such as its Warthog unmanned ground vehicle, Boxer indoor robot and Heron unmanned maritime surface vessel. Clearpath Robotics, which works closely with academic and corporate researchers to ensure that their robotic applications and proof of concepts are successfully implemented, has the expertise required to help customers evaluate the range of IMU options and to specify the best MTi-series product for their application.  

Clearpath Robotics already provides a component sales service for low-volume customers such as university researchers and development engineers, stocking and shipping products such as LiDARs, collaborative robots, machine vision cameras and force sensors. Now these customers will also be able to buy MTi-series IMUs from stock, for immediate shipment in any order quantity.

Shahab Khokhar, Business Manager Components at Clearpath Robotics, said: ‘Xsens’ MTi-series IMUs are an attractive new option for our customers because they offer professional-grade accuracy, precision, stability and speed at a competitive price. By providing the MTi-series devices to our customers in the research community, we can help them develop innovative designs at a lower cost and with enhanced functionality.’
The MTi-series of IMUs is a broad portfolio of products including IMUs, Vertical Reference Units (VRUs), Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS) and Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) with or without satellite positioning data.

The Xsens IMUs are particularly well suited to systems based on Clearpath Robotics development platforms: the IMUs offer native support for the open-source Robot Operating System (ROS), while Clearpath Robotics is a recognized authority on ROS technology, and its robot platforms are all built on ROS.

MTi-series products are also all supported by the MT Software Suite, a development and configuration tool which enables users to quickly integrate an IMU into robots or other types of end product.
Photo: Xsens