An improved model-based observer for inertial navigation for quadrotors with low cost IMUs

In this thesis, we present a model-based observer for inertial navigation of quadrotors and other multirotor aircraft. We include in our model a Coriolis term that has been neglected in prior work. Doing so allows us to estimate the entire velocity vector in the quadrotor's frame of reference---including along the z-axis of this frame---with data only from a low-cost inertial measurement unit (IMU), something that has not been demonstrated previously. An observability analysis predicts that our proposed observer will perform well. Experimental results over 110 flight trials verify this prediction, showing that our proposed observer achieves lower root mean square error than three other state-of-the-art model-based observers.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Aerospace Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Hanley, David John

Contributors dc:contributor

• Bretl, Timothy W.

• Inertial Navigation
• Unmanned Aircraft
• Quadrotors
• Observer
• Estimator

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2015 David Hanley

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/88007

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/88007