Feature Guide: Displaced Output

Overview

The Displaced Output feature allows you to adjust the reference point for your system’s reported measurements. Instead of outputting motion, acceleration, or position data from the device’s mounting location, you can virtually “move” the output to another point on the platform — such as the vehicle’s center of gravity, or the position of a sensor like a LiDAR or camera.

This feature is configured in NAVConfig → Advanced section.

Why Use Displaced Outputs

In many applications, the location where measurements are needed doesn’t exactly match where the device is physically installed. For example:

• The measurement unit cannot be mounted at the ideal point (like the center of gravity) due to space or accessibility.

• You need motion data at a sensor’s position (e.g. LiDAR, camera, IMU) for alignment, calibration, or data fusion.

Using Displaced Outputs allows you to mathematically shift the reporting point, avoiding the need for physical relocation of the device.

How to Configure Displaced Outputs

1. Open NAVConfig and go to Advanced → Displaced Output page.

2. Find the Displaced Output section.

3. Enter the displacement values relative to the device’s mounting location:

   • Forward/Backward (X-axis)

   • Left/Right (Y-axis)

   • Up/Down (Z-axis)

4. Save and apply the configuration.

For example, entering +1 m forward and +1 m right will shift the reported outputs 1 meter ahead and 1 meter to the right of the device.

Examples of Use

1. Aligning Outputs with Sensor Locations (e.g. LiDAR or Camera)

When integrating external sensors such as LiDARs or cameras, you may need motion data at their exact position for accurate alignment or sensor fusion.

By displacing the outputs to the sensor’s mounting location, you can ensure that position, velocity, and acceleration outputs correspond to where the sensor actually measures.

This approach simplifies calibration and helps synchronize motion data across different devices

2. Measuring Accelerations at the Vehicle’s Centre of Gravity

If the unit cannot be mounted exactly at the center of gravity (CoG), you can use the Displaced Output feature to shift the measurements virtually to that location.

This ensures acceleration and motion data represent the vehicle’s CoG behavior rather than the mounting point.

Important Considerations

• Increased Noise:
  Displacing outputs introduces additional noise in acceleration data due to rotational effects. For example, typical angular vibrations of 2 rad/s² can add roughly 2 m/s² of vibration noise to a 1 m output displacement. Filtering is recommended when using output displacement.

• Minimize Displacement:
  Whenever possible, mount the unit close to the desired measurement point (e.g., CoG or sensor) to reduce noise and filtering requirements.

• Effect on Configured Points:
  Displacing the output affects all configured reference points (e.g., RT Range measurements). Any points defined relative to the device will also move by the same displacement vector.