Self-calibration algorithm for an IMU in two-wheeled vehicles: design and experimental validation

In this paper an algorithm for the estimation of the three mounting angles (roll, pitch, and yaw) of accelerometers and gyroscopes within Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) is presented. Such a self-calibration method is focused for telematic boxes (e-Boxes) installed on two-wheeled vehicles, whose IMUs' axes often result not to be aligned with the vehicle reference system. Previous methods for axes calibration commonly use satellite-based radionavigation data to determine the unknown mounting angles. In this paper we propose an energy-efficient alignment procedure which limits the use of geolocation data. The aspects of data selection and real-time implementation of our method are taken particularly into account. The proposed approach is validated and performance are analyzed on experimental data collected with tests performed with a motorcycle equipped with three e-Boxes mounted in different positions and orientations. The analysis of the real measured driving data proves the effectiveness of the approach in aligning the sensors' axes in all three directions.