MEMS Sensors

Inertial-only decimeter-precise positions provided during short GNSS or perception system outages/uncertainties
High-rate, 100 Hz position and orientation updates supplied to the autonomous vehicle (AV) system
GNSS-agnostic software solution offers flexible integration for full-stack AV solution providers
Offline mode enhances accuracy for High Definition (HD) map building and maintenance applications
Coursa Drive is being integrated with key AV platform partners for demonstration to OEMs in Q1 2019

January 8, 2019

TDK Corporation (TSE:6762) announces today the launch of InvenSense Coursa Drive software, the world’s first inertial-aided positioning solution for AV platform developers. A high-performance extension of the InvenSense Positioning Library (IPL) that has provided sensor-aided positioning to over 50 million devices worldwide, Coursa Drive enhances inertial-only vehicle positioning to <0.2% of distance traveled. These precise levels of accuracy are critical to maintaining decimeter lane-level vehicle positioning in challenging GNSS/perception system environments.

Coursa Drive’s inertial navigation system (INS) calibrates using absolute position inputs from either high accuracy GNSS receivers or from perception-based systems (camera, radar, lidar) with HD maps. In real time, Coursa Drive provides high-rate, 100 Hz delta positions and orientation to the AV system, complementing the lower-rate position references from GNSS and perception systems. For improved system fault-tolerance, Coursa Drive can provide decimeter position precision for short periods when the GNSS or perception systems are uncertain or unavailable.

For non-real-time applications such as HD map creation and maintenance, Coursa Drive’s offline mode reprocesses INS data at two to three times higher accuracy than real-time mode, providing HD map companies alternative position references to verify HD map accuracy, even without GNSS, for up to 60 seconds.

“Coursa Drive delivers vehicle dead reckoning accuracy equivalent to high-end systems costing thousands of dollars,” said Mike Housholder, Senior Director of the TDK InvenSense Location Software and Services Business. “Our cost-effective software solution will help AV platform and Tier 1 vehicle manufacturers scale beyond prototype vehicles to high-volume mass production.”

Coursa Drive provides AV platform developers with maximum flexibility for system integration. The solution is platform agnostic and can operate on Cortex-M4F-class microcontrollers, or higher, and supports most dual-frequency GNSS receivers. The Coursa Drive API specifications are available upon request.

Coursa Drive is thoroughly tested and characterized using the InvenSense line of automotive-grade IMUs, including the IAM-20680 and IAM-20680HP, as well as several industrial grade IMUs. Coursa Drive is available now for select early partners and customers.

TDK and its group companies offering a comprehensive portfolio of sensors, electronic components and solutions for mobile, wearables, AR/VR, automotive, IoT and industrial applications will be at CES 2019, showcasing the Coursa Drive solution, along with additional innovative sensor solutions, in Booth #30306, Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall 3, January 8-11, Las Vegas, Nev. For additional information, please visit www.invensense.tdk.com/technology/location/ or contact InvenSense Sales at sales@invensense.com.

Glossary

AV: Autonomous Vehicles
IPL: InvenSense Positioning Library
IMU: Inertial Measurement Unit
GNSS: Global Navigation Satellite System
Cortex M4F: One of a group of 32-bit RISC ARM processors

Main applications

Level 2 to Level 5 advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS)
Robotaxis
Trucking
Precision agriculture

Key features

World’s first high-precision inertial-aided positioning software for AVs
Inertial-only decimeter precise positions provided during short GNSS or perception system outages/uncertainties
High-rate, 100 Hz position and orientation updates supplied to the AV system
GNSS-agnostic software solution offers flexible integration for full-stack AV solution providers
Unique offline mode further enhances accuracy by two to three times for HD map building and maintenance applications

About TDK Corporation

TDK Corporation is a leading electronics company based in Tokyo, Japan. It was established in 1935 to commercialize ferrite, a key material in electronic and magnetic products. TDK's comprehensive portfolio features passive components such as ceramic, aluminum electrolytic and film capacitors, as well as magnetics, high-frequency, and piezo and protection devices. The product spectrum also includes sensors and sensor systems such as temperature and pressure, magnetic, and MEMS sensors. In addition, TDK provides power supplies and energy devices, magnetic heads and more. These products are marketed under the product brands TDK, EPCOS, InvenSense, Micronas, Tronics and TDK-Lambda. TDK focuses on demanding markets in the areas of information and communication technology and automotive, industrial and consumer electronics. The company has a network of design and manufacturing locations and sales offices in Asia, Europe, and in North and South America. In fiscal 2018, TDK posted total sales of USD 12 billion and employed about 103,000 people worldwide.

About InvenSense

InvenSense, Inc., a TDK Group company, is a world leading provider of MEMS sensor platforms. InvenSense’s vision of Sensing Everything® targets the consumer electronics and industrial areas with integrated Motion, Sound, and Ultrasonic solutions. InvenSense’s solutions combine MEMS (micro electrical mechanical systems) sensors, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, compasses, microphones, and ultrasonic 3D-sensing with proprietary algorithms and firmware that intelligently process, synthesize, and calibrate the output of sensors, maximizing performance and accuracy. InvenSense’s motion tracking, ultrasonic, audio, fingerprint, location platforms and services can be found in Mobile, Wearables, Smart Home, Industrial, Automotive, and IoT products. InvenSense became part of the MEMS Sensors Business Group within the newly formed Sensor Systems Business Company of TDK Corporation in 2017. In February of 2018, Chirp Microsystems joined the InvenSense family through its acquisition by TDK. InvenSense is headquartered in San Jose, California and has offices worldwide. For more information, go to www.invensense.tdk.com.

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