During the last years integrated navigation systems based on gyros,accelerometers, and satellite navigation receivers became powerful,favourably priced devices for the guidance of aircraft and ships.Comparable equipment using especially wheel sensors exists for cars. Thekernel of such systems is a Kalman filter estimating the relevantvehicle motion. The filter design in turn requires a kinematical modelto settle on the motion components considered and to describe themechanical meaning of the measurements employed. Up to now, usual modelsrepresent a single rigid body with two, three or six degrees of freedom.

The assumption of a solitary rigid body reflects mainly classicalnavigation requirements, it is not a consequence of the basic concept ofintegrated navigation systems. In principle, determining the motion ofmechanical systems with other or with additional degrees of freedom ispossible if appropriate kinematical models and suitable sensorarrangements are available.

Based on the theory of integrated navigation systems, the paperdescribes the fundamentals of the design of integrated motionmeasurement systems for multibody structures. The approach isfurthermore illustrated by the example of a double pendulum with amovable inertial support and equipped with microelectromechanical gyrosand accelerometers as well as with radar units. The attachment of thesensors demonstrates that a measurement system layout does typically notrequire considerable modifications of already existing mechanicalassemblies. The performance of the integrated system for the pendulum isdemonstrated by means of simulated and of experimental sensor signals.