Abstract
Simulation technology for lunar/planetary rover locomotion plays an important role in the R&D phase for mechanical design optimization and performance analysis of the rovers as well as the exploration phase for real-time path planning and navigation support, etc. In this paper, we first briefly describe the general work flow of a rover simulation technique with the use of multibody dynamics(MBD), we then reconsider the validity of Bekker and Wong & Reece models which form the basis of the MBD simulation. These are the long-established models, but they are still implemented in up-to-date rover simulation packages. The outline of the theories and its limitations when being implemented in MBD simulations are discussed. Moreover, reviews and discussions of the state-of-the-art simulation techniques were given for three benchmarking approaches attempted to improve the accuracy.
