CCNYRoboticsLab/imu_tools

What it solves

It provides tools for processing Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) data to determine a robot's orientation. Raw IMU data (angular velocity, acceleration, and magnetic readings) is often noisy or incomplete, and this project provides filters to fuse these readings into a stable orientation quaternion.

How it works

The project contains three main components:

• imu_filter_madgwick: A filter that fuses angular velocities, accelerations, and optional magnetic readings into an orientation estimate.
• imu_complementary_filter: A filter using a complementary fusion approach to combine IMU data into an orientation quaternion.
• rviz_imu_plugin: A visualization tool for ROS (Robot Operating System) that allows users to see sensor_msgs::Imu messages in real-time.

Who it’s for

Robotics developers using ROS or ROS 2 who need to convert raw IMU sensor data into reliable orientation estimates for their robots.

Highlights

• Supports both ROS 1 and ROS 2 distributions.
• Includes two different filtering algorithms (Madgwick and Complementary).
• Provides a dedicated RViz plugin for visual debugging of IMU data.