Kalman Filter

Modules
group	Constant Position
group	Constant Velocity
group	Measurement classes
Classes
class	tag::KalmanFilter< State, Model >

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Detailed Description

A basic Kalman filter implementation and various state, process models and measurement functions.

Template class providing a basic implementation of the Kalman filter. The state and the process model are both template parameter classes to keep it flexible. Both parameters have to implement a certain interface to make the filter work.

class State {
public:
    const static int STATE_DIMENSION =  ??;  // dimension of filter state
    TooN::Matrix<STATE_DIMENSION> covariance;      // covariance of filter state
};

class Model {
public:
    // return process model jacobian for a given state and time delta (typically A)
    const TooN::Matrix<State::STATE_DIMENSION> & getJacobian(const State & state, double dt);
    // update the state for a given time delta (not all states are actually x = Ax, therefore this is a function)
    void updateState( State & state, const double dt );
    // return process noise matrix for given time delta (typically Q)
    const TooN::Matrix<State::STATE_DIMENSION> & getNoiseCovariance( double dt );
    // update the state from an innovation. the innovation was computed by the filter based on measurement etc.
    void updateFromMeasurement( State & state, const TooN::Vector<State::STATE_DIMENSION> & innovation );
};

Measurements are incorporated through the template member function template<class Measurement> void KalmanFilter<class State, class Model>::filter(Measurement & m); where class Measurement also has to implement a certain protocol:

class Measurement {
public:
    static const int M_DIMENSION =  ??;  // dimension of measurement
    // return measurement jacobian, from state -> measurement
    const Matrix<M_DIMENSION,State::STATE_DIMENSION> & getMeasurementJacobian( const State & state );
    // return measurement noise covariance
    const Matrix<M_DIMENSION> & getMeasurementCovariance( const State & state );
    // return the innovation, the difference between actual measurement and the measurement prediction based on the state
    const Vector<M_DIMENSION> & getInnovation( const State & state );
};

All of the member functions take the state as parameters, because the returned values are typically functions of the state in some form.

Basically, the three classes State, Model, Measurement have to know about each other and work together. However, splitting them apart allows one to change models and use multiple measurement functions for a single kind of state. That simplifies sensor fusion and SCAAT style use of the Kalman filter.

The following example demonstrates how to use the filter classes.

KalmanFilter<ConstantVelocity::State, ConstantVelocity::Model> filter;
filter.state.pose = // Initial pose
filter.state.covariance = // Initial covariance

while(true){
    double deltaT = 0.1; // interval between measurements
    filter.predict( deltaT );

    ConstantVelocity::CameraMeasurement m;
    m.measurement = // update vector = ln() of the correction SE3
    m.covariance =  // your measurement covariance
    filter.filter(m);
}

Note, that all the return values from the various classes are const references. This avoids any unnecessary copying of data. You can also return types that may be stored in const references, such as non-const references and return values.

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