Study on effectiveness of vibrating wheel's shape for improving running performance of small planetary exploration rovers with wheels on loose ground

Abstract

In planetary explorations, exploring robots which are called rovers has been used. They achieved significant results in these missions. In recent years, small wheel typed rovers are focused on as exploring rovers in order to reduce the cost of planetary explorations. The ground of some planets is covered with loose soil. Therefore, these rovers must be able to run on these ground. The purpose of this study is improving running performance of small wheel typed rovers using the changes of the ground by giving vibration. In previous study, we could get knowledge that the running performance for small wheel typed rovers was improved using the changes of the ground by giving vibration. However, it was also confirmed that sinkage of the wheels to the ground is increased when vibration is given to the ground from the wheels. Sinkage of the wheels to the ground decreases the running performance of these rovers. In this study, the relationship between shapes of wheels and resistance force from the ground is confirmed in order to propose the wheel which reduces subsidence amount to the ground when vibration is given to the ground. Moreover, the relationship between shapes of wheels and running performance of rovers is confirmed by the experiment that the testbed runs on the loose ground. In the experimental result, the running performance of the testbed is improved using the wheel which reduces subsidence amount to the ground.