Optimization of Rover Wheel Geometries for Planetary Missions

Rovers have been used extensively on exploration and sample collection missions to the Moon and Mars. Challenging prospective missions require rovers that have reliable wheels to navigate the harsh conditions of the planetary regolith. However, due to the regolith being soft the wheels on the rover start to lose traction and the wheels sink while driving. The goal of this work is to optimize the grouser geometry to improve wheel traction and sinkage simultaneously facilitating better rover maneuvering. This research will be conducted by changing different parameters of the grouser\u27s height, number of grousers, and shape of the grousers. Novel geometries will be analyzed using LIGGGHTS and Paraview software. Recommendations will be made towards optimizing the wheel performance on planetary surface missions. MATLAB will be the first to use to optimize the grouser geometry and then input into LIGGGHTS and processed in Paraview. For validating the work, high-fidelity simulations will be performed along with sensitivity study