A novel method to measure and correct the odometry errors in mobile robots

Abstract

This paper presents a novel and still simple method for odometry errors measurement and compensation. For a typical differential drive mobile robot, the three dominant and systematic error sources (unequal wheelspsila diameter, imprecise average wheels diameter and uncertainty about the effective wheelbase) are investigated. It is shown that the mobile robot, calibrated by using the proposed algorithm, has noticeable Odometric accuracy. Calibration coefficients are obtained by accurate measurements of the wheelspsila diameter ratios and the effective wheelbase. Then these coefficients are applied to the mobile robot through the driverpsilas controller software.