Masataku Sutoh
Journal of Terramechanics, Volume 95, 2021, Pages 15-24, ISSN 0022-4898
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jterra.2021.02.003.(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002248982100015X)
Abstract: In this study, the effect of a vacuum environment on the traveling characteristics of planetary rovers is experimentally investigated. For this study, a wheel traveling test system that enables a wheel to travel at various speeds and traction loads in a vacuum chamber was developed. In this system, the ground can be prepared before each run, and the wheel can travel in similar ground conditions repeatedly. Subsequently, using this system, traveling tests of the wheel were conducted in the atmosphere and medium vacuum. The wheel was tested at different speeds and various traction loads (i.e., drawbar pulls) on a sandbox filled with three types of material. Wheel slip and sinkage were quantitatively compared in the atmosphere and vacuum. From the experiment, it was confirmed that the medium vacuum environment does not significantly affect the traveling performance of the wheel.
Keywords: Planetary exploration; Rover; Traveling performance; Vacuum