SENTISYNC
The Challenge
Name:
Synchronization of multi-modal sensor data
Domain:
Sensor synchronization, sensor fusion, (Time-Sensitive) Networking
Challenge proposer:
Objectives:
To develop a prototype that integrates a hardware solution for accurate time synchronization of multi-sensor data on an AUTOASSESS drone.
- A drone carrying an inertial measurement unit, LiDAR, camera, and barometer, alongside the hardware for time synchronization, will be used to perform field tests and collect datasets. The performance gain achieved with high precision hardware time synchronization of multimodal sensor data should be assessed and investigated. Specifically, the drone’s capability to autonomously map, assess, and navigate in an unknown GNSS denied environment should be reviewed;
- A precise and accurate hardware-based approach to multi-sensor data time synchronization will be compared to a purely software-based approach, using key markers of a known location in the environment as “ground truth”, allowing for an objective comparison between the two approaches to sensor data fusion.
The Solution
Description:
SentiSystems has created a reconfigurable hardware-based sensor timing system designed to simplify system integration to time-synchronising sensor data, without compromising accuracy. By using dedicated hardware features such as input capture to record the time of validity of measurement (TOV) from sensors, temporal errors are minimised, ensuring precise synchronisation between all connected devices.
To realise this design, the company developed SentiBoard, a core hardware component that references measurements to a 100 MHz clock, achieving 10 ns temporal resolution. The board supports a wide range of sensors—including IMUs, Inertial Navigation Systems, magnetometers, Doppler Velocity Logs (DVLs), and GNSS receivers – connected via standard interfaces such as SPI, UART, RS232, and RS422. It also supports high-bandwidth timing synchronisation for modern LiDARs and cameras (electro-optical, hyperspectral, and infrared) using digital input-capture and trigger mechanisms.
An onboard configuration system allows new sensors and equipment to be integrated without modifying firmware or software, ensuring scalability and ease of maintenance.
SentiSystems is currently developing the next generation, SentiHUB, a compact (8 cm × 8 cm) version that combines hardware timestamping and synchronisation functionality with a network interface supporting IEEE1588v2 PTP and IEEE 802.1AS TSN. These standards enable collaborative latency control between processing units, facilitating synchronised operation not only within a single platform but also across multiple stationary and moving systems.
The system’s core synchronisation and sensor data parsing functionality are hosted on a System-on-Chip (SoC), making integration with new vehicle platforms straightforward through custom carrier boards. Two such carrier boards have already been produced and tested.
SentiBoard 2 ensures sub-microsecond accuracy across distributed processing nodes, providing a unified time reference critical for high-performance data fusion and control.
To complement the hardware, SentiSystems developed SentiUtils, a software library for managing, filtering, and preprocessing synchronised sensor data streams. SentiUtils attaches precise TOVs to all sensor data, supports temporal interpolation and extrapolation between sensor readings, and reduces data traffic by performing local filtering before forwarding data to fusion algorithms or external systems. The software includes native interfaces to ROS and ROS2 (Robot Operating System), making deployment easy in research and industrial environments.
By combining hardware-level synchronisation with software-level data management, SentiSync provides an end-to-end solution for precise, reliable, and scalable sensor fusion. This makes it ideal for applications in autonomous navigation, mapping, monitoring, and inspection—particularly in maritime and industrial environments where accuracy, timing, and robustness are essential.
The Solution Provider
SentiSystems AS develops cutting-edge synchronisation and sensor fusion technology to enhance autonomy, navigation, and situational awareness. With over a decade of combined research and development, the company’s core innovation, the SentiBoard, enables high-precision timing and unified data handling across sensor platforms. SentiSystems provides scalable solutions that empower robotics, drones, and marine systems to operate with improved precision, safety, and efficiency.
