Analytical and experimental study on a versatile landing system with shock response mechanism

Abstract

This paper introduces a versatile, passive-landing system designed for various landing operations such as planetary exploration missions, emergency landings of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and so on. The system leverages energy and momentum exchange mechanisms, incorporating two spring units and a detachable flyaway component to ensure smooth and safe landings. Initially, the kinetic energy of the lander is converted into potential energy stored in the spring units. A switch mechanism then releases this stored energy, converting it back into kinetic energy and transferring momentum to the flyaway part. This process effectively suppresses rebound and reduces acceleration, ensuring a soft landing. A key advantage of this mechanism is its high robustness against variations in initial-fall height. The energy stored in the spring units adjusts according to the falling height, enhancing the system adaptability. The system performance is evaluated through one-dimensional simulations to assess rebound height and acceleration, and two-dimensional simulations to evaluate its ability to prevent tip-over. An experimental setup further validates the system-rebound suppression capability. Results from both simulations and experiments confirm the superior system performance in minimizing rebound, reducing acceleration, and preventing rotational motion during landing.