Linear Parameter-Varying Observer for Online Tire Grip Potential Estimation

This paper presents a novel Linear Parameter-Varying (LPV) observer for online simultaneous estimation of the tire longitudinal grip potential and slip-ratio. The tire grip potential is the maximum force that can be transmitted between the tire and the road surface. The proposed discrete-time observer is designed as a multi-mode LPV polytopic system, and relies on a new tire model, which has a simple structure and a low number of parameters. Furthermore, its performances are assessed with a realistic driving scenario in simulation, showing its effectiveness in tracking variations of grip potential from small slip-ratio values.