Title: Convergence evaluation of quaternion-based attitude estimation using MEMS sensors

Authors: Mohammad Samani; Masod Mirzaei Teshnizi

Addresses: Department of Engineering, College of Mechanical Engineering, Yadegar-e-Imam Khomeini (RAH) Shahre Rey Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran ' Department of Aerospace Engineering, The University of Tehran New Science and Technologies, Tehran, Iran

Abstract: In this study, the extended Kalman filter was firstly explicated on the basis of quaternion. In order for the attitude estimation to be improved, multiplicative quaternion-based Kalman filter was presented. This filter helps to increase the convergence, and decrease sensitivity to the primitive conditions. In this research, inertia and reference sensors have been utilised for attitude estimation. Also, modelling and simulation of quaternion-based attitude estimation is initially performed and partially verified. Subsequently, an approximate statistical method was utilised to evaluate filter convergence. According to the simulation result, attitude and bias gyroscope fall in a safe region. Finally, a Mont Carlo simulation was also performed. The comparison and verification of statistical results indicated a small and acceptable deviation between the two approaches, thus, it can be concluded that the simpler approximate statistical approach is also valid for elevation filter convergence and can provide valuable knowledge needed in the filter design.

Keywords: attitude estimation; multiplicative quaternion based Kalman filter; MQKF; Monte Carlo simulation; statistical methods; filter convergence; MEMS sensors; modelling; microelectromechanical systems; extended Kalman filter; EKF; filter design; satellite attitude; satellite orbit; orbital perturbation; star tracker sensors; gyroscopes; satellites; space vehicles.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSPACESE.2016.078576

International Journal of Space Science and Engineering, 2016 Vol.4 No.1, pp.18 - 30

Received: 28 Nov 2015
Accepted: 18 Feb 2016

Published online: 24 Aug 2016 *

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