Master Thesis: Measuring Wheel Rotational Speed Using Inertial Sensor

Background of thesis project


Vehicle motion estimation is essential for effective vehicle state control. In this regard, having a precise knowledge of the wheel rotational speeds is of paramount importance as it potentially enables satisfactory motion estimation, which in turn facilitates the successful realization of control strategies such as Anti-Lock Braking (ABS) and slip control, contributing to the stability control of the vehicle


Suitable background


The thesis work will require the application of control theory and signal processing. Interest in vehicle dynamics and simulation is seen as a benefit. Furthermore, as this study potentially entails the development of a prototype setup, previous experience with microcontrollers/ single-board computers is meritorious. The thesis is recommended for two students with a signal processing analysis profile and good mathematical skills.
Description of thesis work
The output of this study will lead to an additional source of wheel speed information, which can be regarded together with the existing wheel speed sensors to establish a redundant solution.
The focus of this work is to adopt a novel approach for measuring wheel speeds, which makes use of inertial sensor unit(s) mounted on the wheels. To be able to generate measurements at a high frequency, the power consumption of the sensor becomes an important limitation to be considered. Accordingly, the concept might also involve incorporating an energy harvesting module onto the wheel, thereby leading to a comprehensive and self-sufficient solution.
The rotational speed of the wheel, ω, can be formulated as in,
ω = f (z, Ω)
where z indicates the observed quantities, which essentially consist of inertial measurements at the mounting point, and Ω denotes the configuration of the sensor unit, i.e., its location and orientation with regard to the vehicle body.
The measured signals shall be effectively processed to obtain the wheel speed and to eliminate noises originated from the road and the dynamics of the chassis frame.


The objectives of the master's thesis are as follows:
To develop a model of the wheel-mounted inertial sensor embedded in the high-fidelity simulation environment, Volvo Transportation Model (VTM), to simulate sensor outputs under different driving scenarios across various road conditions.
To engineer and implement a method that processes sensor readings to attain precise wheel rotational speed information that fulfills the requirements of wheel speed sensors with high-frequency output.
To assess the optimality of different configurations of the sensor(s) for effectively measuring the signals of interest. This involves the investigation of the physical quantities to be observed by the sensor, the number of sensors to be employed, and their specifications, such as sensor output frequency and error characteristics.
To investigate the limitations of the technology that reduces the accuracy of the wheel speed measurement.
[Stretched] To test the solution on a vehicle (real-time application).

Thesis Level: Master
Language: English
Starting date: January 2024
Number of students: 2
Tutor: Alireza Marzbanrad - Function developer, e-mail: alireza.marzbanrad@consultant.volvo.com


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