Highlights Mars rover wheels’ driving performance is obtained especially when complete skid. The influence of large load on driving performance indices is studied. The radial, axial, torsion, and deflection stiffness of Mars wheel are obtained. The wheel ribs affect driving performance by reducing sinkage and drawbar pull.
Abstract The soft ground and stones on the surface of Mars may cause sinkage of and damage to the wheels of a Mars rover. Therefore, we analyzed the performance of a wheel-step Mars rover from the perspective of terramechanics and structural mechanics. Using China’s Mars rover wheel prototype and wheel-soil interaction testbed, we obtained the driving performance of the wheels of a Mars rover under various conditions, including full skidding conditions. The vertical load set in the tests was determined using the gravity of Mars and the mass of the wheel-step Mars rover. The results indicate that the driving torque, sinkage, and resistance coefficient have a linear relationship with the wheel vertical load. An analysis of the structural mechanical characteristics of the wheel of the Mars rover was conducted by testing the radial, axial, torsional, and deflection stiffness. We found that the wheel ribs can improve the stiffness of the wheel but may reduce its driving performance. The analysis methods and evaluation indices can be used to analyze the performance of the wheels of other Mars rovers. Furthermore, the findings of this study can be used to optimize wheel design and motion control of wheel-step Mars exploration rovers.
Wheels' performance of Mars exploration rovers: Experimental study from the perspective of terramechanics and structural mechanics
Journal of Terramechanics ; 92 ; 23-42
2020-09-12
20 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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