A self-contained, integrated micro-cube-sized inertial measurement unit is
provided wherein accuracy is achieved through the use of specifically
oriented sensors, the orientation serving to substantially cancel noise
and other first-order effects, and the use of a noise-reducing algorithm
such as wavelet cascade denoising and an error correcting algorithm such
as a Kalman filter embedded in a digital signal processor device. In a
particular embodiment, a pair of three sets of angle rate sensors are
orientable triaxially in opposite directions, wherein each set is mounted
on a different sector of a base orientable normal to the other two and
comprising N gyroscopes oriented at 360/N-degree increments, where
N.gtoreq.2. At least one accelerometer is included to provide triaxial
data. Signals are output from the angle rate sensors and accelerometer
for calculating a change in attitude, position, angular rate,
acceleration, and/or velocity of the unit.