NON-LINEAR OBSERVER FOR SLIP PARAMETER ESTIMATION OF UNMANNED WHEELED VEHICLES

This paper presents a non-linear sliding mode observer (SMO) to estimate slip parameters based on the vehicle kinematic model and sensor feedback. Lyapunov stability theory is used to establish the stability conditions. It is shown that the observer will converge in a finite time, provided the observer gains satisfy constraints. Specially designed linear and 2-D test rigs are used to validate the proposed observer. Experimental results show that the SMO can estimate the slip parameters to a high accuracy. Thus the proposed observer has the potential to be used on Unmanned Ground Vehicles equipped with GPS or Inertial sensors.