Parameter Identification of Non-Holonomic Omnidirectional Vehicles using a Redundantly Parameterized Model

This paper presents a method for the identification of inertia parameters of non-holonomic omnidirectional (NHO) vehicles. NHO vehicles use several centered steerable standard wheels for their movement. They are omnidirectional in the sense that they are able to drive in each direction but may have to steer the wheels before starting the motion. A precise knowledge of the inertia parameters of such vehicles is e.g mandatory for the application of model-based control approaches. The presented identification approach enhances a classic strategy consisting of the following steps: formulate the motion equations linear w.r.t. inertia parameters, determine uniquely identifiable (base) parameters, and plan an optimal excitation trajectory for the experiment, that is applicable to mobile robotic systems with non-holonomic (NH) constraints and locomotion limits. The overall approach is validated by experiments and yields promising results.