Robust observation of tractor-trailer vertical forces using inverse model and exact differentiator

In this paper, we are interested in developing a robust tire-force estimator for heavy duty vehicles. We use a combined model of the articulated vehicle: a yaw plane model for the chassis motion and a vertical plane model for the axles. In the proposed method, we make use of the on-board available sensors to which are added low-cost sensors. In order to optimize the sensors configuration, a robust differentiator is used in order to obtain accelerations from the measured velocities. Once the differentiation obtained, the model is inverted to determine the unknown input forces. The approach is validated by comparing the estimation results to those given by the software simulator prosper.