Vehicle and terrain interaction based on Adams-Matlab co-simulation

A kind of construction truck model is built in Adams based on multi-body dynamic theory. The rigid and elastic wheels of tire-soil contact models are proposed based on the Bekker pressure model and the Jonasi shear soil model, and they are described in the form of S-function to enhance the calculation efficiency and simulation accuracy. Finally, the interaction of truck and soil is simulated by Adams-Maflab co-simulation to study the influence of soft terrain on the ride comfort of vehicles. The co-simulation results reveal that the terrain properties have a great influence on the ride comfort of vehicles as well as driving speed, road roughness and cargo weight. This co-simulation model is convenient for adding the factor of terrain deformation to the analysis of vehicle ride comfort. It can also be used to optimize suspension system parameters especially for off-road vehicles.

Analytical modeling and multi-objective optimization(MOO) of slippage for wheeled mobile robot(WMR) in rough terrain

Good understanding of relationship between parameters of vehicle, terrain and interaction at the interface is required to develop effective navigation and motion control algorithms for autonomous wheeled mobile robots （AWMR） in rough terrain. A model and analysis of relationship among wheel slippage （S）, rotation angle （0）, sinkage （z） and wheel radius （r） are presented. It is found that wheel rotation angle, sinkage and radius have some influence on wheel slippage. A multi-objective optimization problem with slippage as utility function was formulated and solved in MATLAB. The results reveal the optimal values of wheel-terrain parameters required to achieve optimum slippage on dry sandy terrain. A method of slippage estimation for a five-wheeled mobile robot was presented through comparing the odometric measurements of the powered wheels with those of the fifth non-powered wheel. The experimental result shows that this method is feasible and can be used for online slippage estimation in a sandy terrain.

Steering mechanical analysis for lunar rover wheel

Facing the requirement of establishing a steering mechanical model for the wheel configuration design,selection of steering motors, dynamic analysis and simulation of the lunar rover, shear force beneaththe steering wheel, bulldozing resistance acting on steering wheel rims and side surfaces respectively areconducted on the basis of the wheel-loose soil interaction. The quantitative relation between steering resistancemoment (SRM) and steering radius, dimension of the wheel, soil parameters is established. Tovalidate the model, a single-wheel test bed is employed to test the steering performance of a wheel with0.15735m radius and 0.165m width when the steering radius is 0.00m, 0.04m, 0.08m, 0.12m and0.16m, respectively. The SRM is approached asymptotically with the increasing steering angle and almostproportional to the steering radius. The theoretical results of SRM are compact with the experimental results,which shows that the steering model can predict the experimental results well.

Modeling and multiobjective optimization of traction performance for autonomous wheeled mobile robot in rough terrain

Application of terrain-vehicle mechanics for determination and prediction of mobility performance of autonomous wheeled mobile robot （AWMR） in rough terrain is a new research area currently receiving much attention for both terrestrial and planetary missions due to its significant role in design, evaluation, optimization, and motion control of AWMRs. In this paper, decoupled closed form terramechanics considering important wheel-terrain parameters is applied to model and predict traction. Numerical analysis of traction performance in terms of drawbar pull, tractive efficiency, and driving torque is carried out for wheels of different radii, widths, and lug heights, under different wheel slips. Effects of normal forces on wheels are analyzed. Results presented in figures are discussed and used to draw some conclusions. Furthermore, a multiobjective optimization （MOO） method for achieving optimal mobility is presented. The MOO problem is formulated based on five independent variables in- eluding wheel radius r, width b, lug height h, wheel slip s, and wheel rotation angle 0 with three objectives to maximize drawbar pull and tractive efficiency while minimizing the dynamic traction ratio. Genetic algorithm in MATLAB is used to obtain opti- mized wheel design and traction control parameters such as drawbar pull, tractive efficiency, and dynamic traction ratio required for good mobility performance. Comparison of MOO results with experimental results shows a good agreement. A method to apply the MOO results for online traction and mobility prediction and control is discussed.