Design of multi-sensor attitude determination systems

The design of inexpensive multi-sensor attitude determination systems is discussed. The systems discussed fuse information from a triad of solid state rate gyros with an aiding system mechanized using GPS or magnetometers and accelerometers. Euler angle and quaternion-based sensor fusion algorithms are developed. Methods for gain scheduling and estimator pole placement are presented. Using simulation and flight test results, it is shown that quaternion-based algorithms simplify gain scheduling and improve transient response.