Generalized observer for road profile estimation in the automotive suspension system.

This study develops a generalized observer to estimate the road profile in the semi-active automotive suspension system. The dynamics of the quarter-car model are represented in the descriptor nonlinear parameter-varying system framework, with the road profile as a system's state that is of arbitrary dynamics. Then, a road profile estimation method is designed by using a generalized observer, which utilizes the onboard accelerometers as the observer's input. The adverse impact of measurement noises on the accuracy of estimation results is alleviated via the generalized framework. The proposed observer is designed by solving an LMI-based constrained optimization problem. Frequency domain analysis and time domain simulations illustrate the efficiency of the proposed strategy.