Abstract
A half-tracked tractor equipped with an oscillating crawler system has better stability on uneven ground than wheel type tractors, which respond directly to a concavo-convex surface. However, the crawler tension fluctuates according to the variation in the perimeter of the crawler unit, since the hitch point of the oscillating frame is set separately from the drive axis of the drive sprocket. It is suggested that this fluctuation of the crawler tension would influence the driving performance. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the crawler tension and the driving performance of the oscillating crawler unit using kinematics simulation. The ultimate objective is to achieve traveling control with fluctuation in the crawler tension. This paper introduces a rubber crawler model that is able to simulate the fluctuation in the crawler tension. In the driving simulation, the effect of the elastic parameters of the crawler and support spring on the driving performance of the oscillating crawler unit was examined. It was observed that the driving performance of the oscillating crawler unit is affected by the parameters of the rubber crawler and the support spring of the idle roller.
