MEMS Gyro Bias Estimation in Accelerated Motions Using Sensor Fusion of Camera and Angular-Rate Gyroscope

Although the accuracy of MEMS gyroscopes has been extremely improved, in some aspects, such as stability of bias, they still suffer from some big error sources, like run-to-run bias, which determines the sensor price but is not negligible even inexpensive sensors. Due to the fact that run-to-run bias is a kind of stochastic parameter, it has to be measured by utilizing online methods. Utilizing a novel, fast and efficient vision-based rotation estimation algorithm for ground vehicles, we have developed a visual gyroscope that is used in our sensor fusion system, in order to estimate run-to-run bias of the MEMS gyroscope, accurately. Comparing with similar approaches that use GPS, odometer, accelerometer or magnetometer, the most important advantage of the proposed vision-based sensor-fusion framework is its accuracy in accelerated motions. Moreover, it can be used at environments that have a magnetic field, such as urban environments, without depending on external signals. We have evaluated the efficiency of the proposed system using real datasets, recorded from a car moving in urban areas. According to our experimental results, the proposed algorithm is capable of estimating bias of gyroscope after a convergence time of about 6 seconds and improving the accuracy of the MEMS gyroscope, which provides the possibility of using cheaper sensors for high-accuracy demands.