What is the purpose of sensor fusion in an integrated navigation system?

• A. To map terrain.
• B. To calibrate clock biases only.
• C. To combine inertial and satellite data to produce position, velocity, and attitude estimates.
• D. To generate weather models.

Answer: (C)

Sensor fusion brings together measurements from different sensors that complement each other to estimate the platform’s state. Inertial sensors give continuous, high-rate data about motion (accelerations and angular rates) but they drift over time due to biases and noise. GNSS provides accurate, absolute position and velocity, but updates are slower and can be degraded or lost. By fusing these data streams—often with a Kalman filter or similar estimator—the system delivers stable, high-accuracy estimates of position, velocity, and attitude (orientation) and can also track sensor biases. This combination enables reliable navigation even between GNSS updates or during partial signal loss. So the purpose is to produce position, velocity, and attitude estimates by integrating inertial and satellite data. The other options miss the central goal: mapping terrain, calibrating clock biases only, or generating weather models.