Why do drones use complementary filters for attitude estimation?

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Why do drones use complementary filters for attitude estimation?

Asked on Oct 23, 2025

Answer

Drones use complementary filters for attitude estimation to effectively combine high-frequency data from gyroscopes with low-frequency data from accelerometers, achieving a reliable and stable estimate of orientation. This method helps to mitigate the drift inherent in gyroscopic data and the noise present in accelerometer readings, providing a balanced and accurate attitude estimation suitable for real-time flight control.

Example Concept: A complementary filter is a linear filter used in control systems to fuse data from multiple sensors. In the context of drones, it combines gyroscope and accelerometer data to estimate roll, pitch, and yaw. The filter applies a high-pass filter to the gyroscope data to capture rapid changes and a low-pass filter to the accelerometer data to maintain stability, effectively blending these inputs to produce a smooth and accurate attitude estimate.

Additional Comment:

Complementary filters are computationally efficient, making them suitable for embedded systems with limited processing power.
They are often used in conjunction with other estimation techniques like Kalman filters for enhanced performance in complex environments.
Proper tuning of the filter coefficients is crucial to balance responsiveness and stability in attitude estimation.

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