Experimental validation of error compensation techniques for fibre-optic gyroscopes in semi-natural conditions

Fiber-optic gyroscopes (FOGs) are widely used in inertial navigation systems, but their accuracy can be significantly affected by temperature fluctuations and mechanical vibrations, leading to bias drift and long-term instability. This study presents experimental verification of a comprehensive structural error compensation approach for navigation-grade interferometric FOGs operating under semi-realistic environmental conditions. A custom-designed test bench was developed to simulate synchronized thermal and vibrational disturbances, reflecting those found in actual navigation scenarios. The effectiveness of the compensation method was assessed using key performance indicators, including bias drift, bias instability, angle random walk, and sensitivity to temperature variations. Experimental findings indicate notable improvements in gyroscope performance after applying the compensation strategy: bias drift and bias instability were reduced by approximately 66% and 61%, respectively, while angle random walk decreased by over 50%. Temperature sensitivity was also significantly minimized. These results demonstrate the practical value of the proposed compensation method, especially for applications in autonomous systems and environments where GNSS signals are unreliable or unavailable.