Measuring and simulating the effect of variations in soil properties on microrover trafficability

The authors of this paper build on many years of experience in planetary rover locomotion system design and validation at the University of Surrey. One of the key lessons learned from these systems is how little is accurately understood about the deformation of soil under microrover systems. As such, this paper examines some areas of soil mechanics and their effect on traditional vehicle locomotion. Then, moving beyond wheeled and tracked locomotion systems for planetary rovers, the authors evaluate legged locomotion as a viable option for future robotic explorers. As such, a methodology for determining the tractive capability of a legged robot in Martian soil will be presented. Mathematical models developed in MATLAB validate the terramechanic theory behind the soil deformation under each of these experimental conditions and new models for measuring microrover capability in soil are proposed. Finally a legged vehicle is proposed and simulated in the software under Martian soil conditions in order for the vehicle's performance to be measured