Modeling and estimating the odometry error of a mobile robot

Abstract

This paper presents both an error modeling of an odometry system for a synchronous drive system and a possible procedure in order to evaluate it. This error contains systematic and non-systematic components that are modeled by introducing four parameters. Two parameters characterize the two non-systematic components (translational and rotational). The other two parameters characterize the translational and rotational systematic components. The non-systematic errors are expressed in terms of a covariance matrix which depends both on the previous four parameters and on the path followed by the mobile robot. In contrast to previous approaches which require to assume a particular path (straight or circular) in order to compute this covariance matrix, here general formulas are derived. An experimental procedure by which it is possible to estimate the parameters intervening in the formulas derived for a mobile robot is also given.