It is well known that the linear feedback of the quar-ternion of the attitude error and angular velocity globally stabilizes the attitude of a rigid body. In this note, we show that the angular velocity feedback can be replaced by a nonlinear lter of the quaternion, thus removing the need of direct angular velocity measurement. In contrast to other approaches, this design exploits the inherent ...

This paper investigates the problem of relative spacecraft attitude estimation between three vehicles from a decentralized point of view. Decentralized attitude estimation is achieved through the use of local extended Kalman filters and a data fusion process known as the Covariance Intersection algorithm. Because the global attitude parameterization is the quaternion, the Covariance Intersectio...

This article presents a robust and almost global feedback attitude tracking control scheme in conjunction with a robust deterministic estimator that constructs state estimates for feedback. These control and the estimation schemes use the natural and globally unique representation of rigid body attitude provided by rotation matrices. Attitude and angular velocity state estimates are constructed...

In view of the issue of rapid attitude maneuver control of agile satellite, this paper presents an attitude-tracking control algorithm with path planning based on the improved genetic algorithm, adaptive backstepping control as well as sliding mode control. The satellite applies double gimbal control moment gyro as actuator and is subjected to the external disturbance and uncertain inertia prop...

Initial alignment of the strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS) is intended to determine the initial attitude matrix in a short time with certain accuracy. The alignment accuracy of the quaternion filter algorithm is remarkable, but the convergence rate is slow. To solve this problem, this paper proposes an improved quaternion filter algorithm for faster initial alignment based on the erro...

The quaternion estimation (QUEST) batch attitude determination algorithm has been extended to work in a general Kalman-filter framework. This has been done in order to allow the inclusion of a complicated dynamics model and to allow the estimation of additional quantities beyond the attitude quaternion. The QUEST algorithm, which works with vector attitude observations, serves as a starting poi...

This paper derives an approach to combine estimates and covariances for decentralized attitude estimation using a quaternion parameterization. The approach is based on the covariance intersection method, which is modified to maintain quaternion normalization in the combination process. A simple simulation result is provided where local extended Kalman filters are used on two star trackers, each...

Many attitude estimation methods are based on an optimization problem posed in 1965 by Grace Wahba. All these methods will yield the same optimal estimate, except for inevitable computer roundoff errors. This note shows that Shuster’s Quaternion Estimator (QUEST) and Mortari’s Estimator of the Optimal Quaternion (ESOQ) are essentially identical even in the presence of computer roundoff errors. ...