Global exponential estimation of rigid body angular velocity directly from multiple vector measurements

The problem of angular velocity estimation for a rigid body directly from body-referenced vector measurements is addressed. The case of multiple (at least a pair of) vector measurements is treated without requiring the knowledge of the corresponding inertial vectors or assuming any additional information on the attitude and the angular velocity. The proposed solution ensures uniform global exponential stability with respect to null estimation error through a thorough strict Lyapunov analysis. The efficiency of the proposed nonlinear observer is illustrated by numerical simulations.