Vehicle Sideslip Estimation Using Unscented Kalman Filter, AHRS and GPS

A vehicle’s sideslip angle is an important parameter for both vehicle control and tyre property estimation. This paper details the method of determining a vehicles sideslip angle using an Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS) and a Global Position System (GPS) in conjunction with the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF). The addition of a single GPS antenna and the AHRS provides the ability to directly estimate the sideslip angle. Incorporating this direct measurement, as well as the summation of the gravity and gyro-compensated lateral acceleration to provide lateral velocity, allows the continuous and drift free estimation of the sideslip angle. The method is evaluated in simulation, using a validated non-linear full vehicle ADAMS model with added sensor noise. The estimated sideslip angle compares well against the simulated vehicle’s sideslip angle.