Vehicle Wheel-Ground Contact Angle Estimation: With Application to Mobile Robot Traction Control

Abstract

Knowledge of wheel-ground contact angles in vehicles, and in particular mobile robots, is an essential part of many traction control algorithms. However, these angles can be difficult to measure directly. Here, a method is presented for estimating wheel-ground contact angles of mobile robots using commonly available on-board sensors. The method utilizes an extended Kalman filter to fuse noisy sensor signals. Simulation and experimental results from a six-wheeled mobile robot demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.