Simultaneous Triggering and Synchronization of Sensors and Onboard Computers

Morten Nissov, Nikhil Khedekar, Kostas Alexis
40th Anniversary of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2024
Report

Abstract

High fidelity estimation algorithms for robotics require accurate data. However, timestamping of sensor data is a key issue that rarely receives the attention it deserves. Inaccurate timestamping can be compensated for in post-processing but is imperative for online estimation. Simultaneously, even online mitigation of timing issues can be achieved through a relaxation of the tuning parameters from their otherwise more performative optimal values, but at a detriment to performance. To address the need for real-time, low-cost timestamping, a versatile system which utilizes readily-available components and established methods for synchronization is introduced. The synchronization and triggering (of both high- and low-rate sensors) capabilities of the system are demonstrated.