Kalman Filter-based compensation of disturbance forces and torques for AGVs

Controller design for autonomous 4-wheeled ground vehicles is performed with differential flatness theory. Using a 3-DOF nonlinear model of the vehicle´s dynamics and through the application of differential flatness theory an equivalent model in linear canonical (Brunovksy) form is obtained. The processing of velocity measurements (provided by a small number of on-board sensors) through a Kalman Filter which has been redesigned in the form of a disturbance observer results in accurate identification of external disturbances affecting the vehicle´s dynamic model. By including in the vehicle´s controller an additional term that compensates for the estimated disturbance forces, the vehicle´s motion characteristics remain unchanged.