# Implementing ESKF

I'm currently struggling with implementing the Multiplicative Kalman Filter or Error State Kalman Filter as described by Landis Markley in Attitude Error Representations for Kalman Filtering. Sadly there is two versions of almost the same paper online:

First of all, I'm a little bit confused why eq. 45 in 1 is different from eq. 33 in 2. Which one is correct? Usually the covariance propagation is defined as $$P = FPF^T + GQG^T$$. What is the reason for using $$P = FP + PF^T + GQG^T$$?

In the paper Markley just filters the attitude error and the gyro drift. I would also like to have the angular velocity and acceleration as part of the state. If I understand it right, Markley integrates gyro measurements in the predict step. At the moment I'm trying to figure out the correct way of having the angular velocity as part of the state and then performing a separate update step for the gyroscope.

Currently I have the following code:

import numpy as np

class ESKF:
"""This is an Error State Kalman Filter (ESKF) as described by Markley
see https://www.researchgate.net/publication/245432681_Attitude_Error_Representations_for_Kalman_Filtering

"""

def __init__(self):
# 3 x attitude error, 3 x gyro bias, 3 x angular velocity
self.x = np.zeros(9)
# reference quaternion
self.qref = np.array([0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0])
# state covariance
self.P = np.identity(9)
# process noise
self.Q = np.identity(9) * 0.01 # TODO should be determined by tests
# sensor noise
self.R_gyr = np.identity(3) * 0.01 # TODO should be determined for sensor
self.R_acc = np.identity(3) * 0.01 # TODO should be determined for sensor
self.R_mag = np.identity(3) * 0.01 # TODO should be determined for sensor

#TODO initialization

def predict(self, dt):
"""The ESKF predict step

Parameters
----------
dt : float
The time step in s

"""
# eq. 23
self.qref += 0.5 * quat_mult(np.array([self.x[6], self.x[7], self.x[8], 0]), self.qref) * dt
# normalize to compensate numerical errors
self.qref /= np.linalg.norm(self.qref)

# eq. 38
F = np.zeros((9,9))
# df/da
F[0:3,0:3] = - vec_to_cross_matrix(self.x[6:9])
# df/db
F[0:3,3:6] = - np.identity(3)
# df/dw
F[0:3,6:9] = vec_to_cross_matrix(self.x[0:3])

#eq. 39
G = np.zeros((9,9))
G[0:3,0:3] = -np.identity(3)
G[3:6,3:6] = np.identity(3)
G[6:9,6:9] = np.identity(3)

# eq. 33
self.P = F @ self.P + self.P @ F.T + G @ self.Q @ G.T
#self.P = F @ self.P @ F.T + G @ self.Q @ G.T

def update_gyro(self, z):
"""The ESKF update step for a gyrosope

Parameters
----------
z : array, shape [3]
Sensor measurement with structure [x, y, z]

"""
# Kalman Gain
# K = np.zeros((3,3))
H = np.zeros((3,6))
# expected measurement is angular velocity + gyro drift
H[0:3,0:3] = np.identity(3)
H[0:3,3:6] = np.identity(3)
# K = P * H' (H * P * H' + R)^-
K = self.P[3:9,3:9] @ H.T @ np.linalg.inv(H @ self.P[3:9,3:9] @ H.T + self.R_gyr)
# x = x + K * (z - H * x)
self.x[3:9] += K @ (z - H @ self.x[3:9])

# P = (I - KH)P
IKH = np.identity(6) - K @ H
self.P[3:9,3:9] = IKH @ self.P[3:9,3:9]

def update_acc(self, z):
"""The ESKF update step for an accelerometer

Parameters
----------
z : array, shape [3]
Sensor measurement with structure [x, y, z]

"""
vi = np.array([0, 0, -9.81]) # TODO + acc
# eq. 42
vb_pred = rotvec_to_mat(self.x[0:3]) @ quat_to_mat(self.qref) @ vi

# h(v) = v
h = vb_pred
# Ha
# eq. 44
Ha = vec_to_cross_matrix(vb_pred)
#eq. 46
K = self.P[0:6,0:3] @ Ha.T @ np.linalg.inv(Ha @ self.P[0:3,0:3] @ Ha.T + self.R_acc)

# eq. 47
self.x[0:6] += K @ (z - h - Ha @ self.x[0:3])
# eq. 48
self.P[0:6,0:6] -= K @ Ha @ self.P[0:3,0:6]

def update_mag(self, z, B, incl, W, V):
"""The ESKF update step for a magnetometer
see https://www.nxp.com/docs/en/application-note/AN4246.pdf

Parameters
----------
z : array, shape [3]
Sensor measurement with structure [x, y, z]
B : float
The geomagnetic field strength in gauss
incl : float
The inclination angle in rad
W : array, shape [3,3]
The soft-iron distortion
V : array, shape [3]
The hard-iron distortion

"""
vi = B * np.array([np.cos(incl), 0, -np.sin(incl)])
# eq. 42
vb_pred = rotvec_to_mat(self.x[0:3]) @ quat_to_mat(self.qref) @ vi

#h(v) = W * v + V
h = W @ vb_pred + V
# Ha
# eq. 44
Ha = W @ vec_to_cross_matrix(vb_pred)
#eq. 46
K = self.P[0:6,0:3] @ Ha.T @ np.linalg.inv(Ha @ self.P[0:3,0:3] @ Ha.T + self.R_mag)

# eq. 47
self.x[0:6] += K @ (z - h - Ha @ self.x[0:3])
# eq. 48
self.P[0:6,0:6] -= K @ Ha @ self.P[0:3,0:6]

def reset(self):
"""The ESKF reset step

"""
# eq. 14
self.qref = quat_mult(gibbs_vec_to_quat(self.x[0:3]), self.qref)
self.x[0:3] = np.zeros(3)


and some helpers defined the following:

def quat_mult(a, b):
"""Multiply 2 quaternions. They should have the structure [v1, v2, v3, w]

Parameters
----------
a : array, shape [4]
Quaternion 1
b : array, shape [4]
Quaternion 2

Returns
-------
q : array, shape [4]
Quaternion product of a and b

"""
# eq. 6
v = a[3] * b[0:3] + b[3] * a[0:3] - np.cross(a[0:3], b[0:3])
w = a[3] * b[3] - a[0:3].T @ b[0:3]
return np.array([ v[0], v[1], v[2], w ])

def vec_to_cross_matrix(a):
"""Constructs the skew symmetric cross product matrix of a

Parameters
----------
a : array, shape [3]
Vector

Returns
-------
M : array, shape [3,3]
Cross product matrix of a

"""
# eq. 5
return np.array([[0, -a[2], a[1]], [a[2], 0, -a[0]], [-a[1], a[0], 0]])

def quat_to_mat(a):
"""Converts a quaternion into a rotation matrix

Parameters
----------
a : array, shape [4]
Quaternion

Returns
-------
M : array, shape [3,3]
The rotation matrix of a

"""
# eq. 4
return (a[3]**2 - a[0]**2 - a[1]**2 - a[2]**2) * np.identity(3) - 2 * a[3] * vec_to_cross_matrix(a[0:3]) + 2 * a[0:3] @ a[0:3].T

def rotvec_to_mat(a):
"""Converts a rotation vector into a rotation matrix

Parameters
----------
a : array, shape [3]
Rotation vector

Returns
-------
M : array, shape [3,3]
The rotation matrix of a

"""
# eq. 20
a_norm_sqr = a[0]**2 + a[1]**2 + a[2]**2
return np.identity(3) - vec_to_cross_matrix(a) - 0.5 * (a_norm_sqr * np.identity(3) - a @ a.T)

def gibbs_vec_to_quat(a):
"""Converts a gibbs vector into a quaternion

Parameters
----------
a : array, shape [3]
Gibbs vector

Returns
-------
q : array, shape [4]
The quaternion of a with structure [v1, v2, v3, w]

"""
# eq. 18b
a_norm_sqr = a[0]**2 + a[1]**2 + a[2]**2
return (1 / np.sqrt(4 + a_norm_sqr)) * np.concatenate((a, [2]))


Obviously, the angular velocity and the gyro drift always have the same values. Is it worth to keep both in the state, or should I just abandon the gyro drift?

I also miss one step in the derivation of eq. 43 in 2. Let $$A(a) = \{ I_{3 \times 3} - [\mathbf{a} \times] - \frac{1}{2} ( a^2 I_{3 \times 3} - \mathbf{a}\mathbf{a}^T ) \}$$. Then the Taylor expansion is $$h(v_B) = h(\bar{v}_B) + \frac{\delta h}{\delta v} |_{\bar{v}_B} (A(a) - I_{3 \times 3}) \bar{v}_B$$ since $$v_B = A(a)A(q_{ref})v_I = A(a)\bar{v}_B$$. But how is this collapsed too just $$[\mathbf{a} \times] \bar{v}_B$$?

When I let $$v_I = (\begin{smallmatrix} 0 & 0 & -9.81 \end{smallmatrix})^T + (\begin{smallmatrix} accx & accy & accz \end{smallmatrix})^T$$ and $$acc$$ is part of my state, then I also have to include $$\frac{\delta h}{\delta acc}$$ to $$H$$ (eq. 45 in 2), right? Taking this derivative looks fairly complicated. Is there a smarter way doing it? EDIT: It's not, it's just $$\frac{\delta h}{\delta v} A(a) A(q_{ref})$$

Thanks in advance, Martin

• I haven't read the papers, but the difference between equation 45 and 33 looks like discrete time vs continuous time. Nov 12, 2019 at 1:01
• I don't think so. The whole paper is about the discrete case. For me eq. 45 looks like integrating the sensor noise ($R$) into the covariance update. But at this point he hasn't defined what $R$ is. Nov 12, 2019 at 8:19
• To partly answer my question: $(A(a) - I_{3 \times 3}) \bar{v}_B$ becomes $[a \times] \bar{v}_B$ by neglecting the second order term $- \frac{1}{2}(a^2I_{3 \times 3} - \mathbf{a}\mathbf{a}^T)$ in the approximation. Nov 12, 2019 at 8:23

In the end I just abandoned the gyro drift (I would argue that this is unobservable with just one gyro). Furthermore I used the classic covariance propagation $$P_{k+1} = FP_kF^T + GQG^T$$.