System reset of strapdown INS for pipeline inspection gauge

•We give a system reset method suitable for strapdown INS in a highly dynamic vehicle, such as PIG.•In our method, we only require several position observations occasionally obtained.•In this method, we do not need to limit the speed and orientation of PIG motion.

In order to bound the system error of strapdown INS utilized in the inspection of pipeline for locating the deformation inside the pipe, a system reset method is proposed in this paper. As the position information at points is available from external reference station, using this method can correct the position, orientation and gyro drift. Unlike the conventional method which assumes that gyros are stable on the platform and vehicle movements are benign, our method is suitable for strapdown mechanization INS in a highly dynamic vehicle, such as PIG. The results of simulation show that the output errors of strapdown INS are estimated and compensated in the procedure of system reset, so the performance of strapdown INS in PIG could be improved ultimately.