14. Experimental Methods for Identifying Physical Parameters of Four-Wheeled Autonomous Vehicles

Four-Wheeled Autonomous Vehicles have emerged as an innovative technology with significant potential to revolutionize the transportation industry. In the past decade, research efforts in this field aim to develop strategies ranging from the development of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to the creation of fully autonomous navigation strategies. In this context, mathematical models of the four-wheeled robots are an essential part of developing autonomous navigation techniques. Whether using complete or simplified mathematical models of the vehicle, the control synthesis requires accurate model parameters. This work presents experimental methods to obtain some of the main physical parameters that determine the dynamic model of four-wheeled vehicles, including its mass, center of gravity, and principal moments of inertia. The uncertainties of these measurements are presented aiming to estimate the reliability and precision of the results obtained. Furthermore, a cornering stiffness estimation method based on the vehicle lateral dynamics is proposed. Experimental results obtained from a four-wheeled 1:5 scaled electrical vehicle, with real electronic differential distribution are presented.