Accuracy and robustness of ODO/NHC measurement models for wheeled robot positioning

Abstract

The odometer (ODO) and non-holonomic constraint (NHC) are disturbed to a greater extent for wheeled robots by more serious vibrations and bumping compared to commercial cars. However, there have been few studies regarding the performances of different ODO/NHC measurement models for wheeled robot GNSS/INS positioning. In this study, the distance increment model was applied to not only the ODO measurement but also the NHC constraint. The measurement accuracy and robustness of this proposed 3D distance increment measurement versus conventional velocity measurement models were theoretically analyzed, and field tests evaluated in terms of positioning accuracy and robustness for wheeled robots. In the short-term (i.e., 1 min) GNSS outage test, the forward, lateral and vertical positioning drifts of the distance increment model decreased by 67 %, 15 %, and 39 %, respectively; and it also demonstrated superior robustness in the cases of carrier vibration, emergency stops, and passing speed bumps.