The Use of GPS Based Velocity Measurements for Measurement of Sideslip and Wheel Slip

Summary This paper details a novel method for measuring three key vehicle states – wheel slip, body sideslip angle, and tire sideslip angle – using GPS velocity information in conjunction with other sensors. Based on initial noise data obtained from the system components, a prediction of the accuracy of the angle measurements is obtained. These results demonstrate that the errors due to stochastic noise in the GPS signal are below one degree for meaningful vehicle speeds and approach a tenth of a degree at highway speeds. Hence the limiting factor for measuring these states is not the GPS receiver, but the manner in which other implementation issues – such as bias elimination, off-axis dynamics and dead-reckoning during loss of satellite visibility – are handled. Subsequent experiments validate both the error analysis and the methodology for obtaining the measurements. The experimental results for this preliminary implementation of GPS-based state estimation compare favorably to theoretical predictions, suggesting that this technique has potential for future implementation in vehicle diagnostic and, ultimately, safety systems.