Observation of Movement of Ground Particles Given Vibration When Rod Is Dragged

Abstract

Supporting force, that a rod receives from the ground, is increased when vibration gives to the ground. This phenomenon is effective to improve the running performance for the legged rovers. In this study, the flow of the ground particles when a rod is dragged is measured using PIV for improving the running performance of the legged rovers. As observed from the experimental result, the larger the supporting force is, the larger the area that the particles move is. Therefore, the supporting force is related to the movement of the ground particles. Moreover, the area that the particles move becomes large by providing vibration whose frequency is high. The reason is considered that density is increased in a wide range of the ground when the vibration whose frequency is high. It is considered that the supporting force is increased by providing vibration to the ground because the area, that the particles move, grows by increasing density of the ground. The findings of this study suggest facilitating further planetary exploration using legged rovers.