Abstract
In this paper, we developed a novel wheeled mechanism integrated with an actively actuated lug. The drawbar pull generated by using various lug sinkage lengths on the sandy terrain is firstly measured on a prototype mechanism. Based on measured results, we proposed a strategy of controlling lug sinkage length for reducing the fluctuation in drawbar pull. This method did not based on terramechanics model and need not measure physical properties of the terrain. The validity of the proposed method is finally verified by comparing the generated drawbar pull of developed wheel module with that of a wheel with a fixed lug.
