A dead reckoning localization system for mobile robots using inertial sensors and wheel revolution encoding

Inertial navigation systems (INS) are composed of inertial sensors, such as accelerometers and gyroscopes. An INS updates its orientation and position automatically; it has an acceptable stability over the short term, however this stability deteriorates over time. Odometry, used to estimate the position of a mobile robot, employs encoders attached to the robot’s wheels. However, errors occur caused by the integrative nature of the rotating speed and the slippage between the wheel and the ground. In this paper, we discuss mobile robot position estimation without using external signals in indoor environments. In order to achieve optimal solutions, a Kalman filter that estimates the orientation and velocity of mobile robots has been designed. The proposed system combines INS and odometry and delivers more accurate position information than standalone odometry.