車輪沈下を利用した小型・軽量Push-Pull Locomotionローバの走行性能の実験的検証

抄録

From the perspective of the rockets’ payload, demand for the small and lightweight rovers has increased in the direct exploration. However, the traveling performance of the small and lightweight rovers can easily become worse on the loose soil of the planet’s surface. Push-pull locomotion has a high traveling performance among the normal wheel-typed rovers, and its motion scheme can be expected to contribute to the traveling performance of the small rovers. However, the conventional push-pull locomotion rovers are relatively large (24–280 kg) and the traveling performance of the small push-pull locomotion rover (under a few kg or less) remains unclear. This study, therefore, investigates the traveling performance of the small push-pull locomotion rover using a testbed rover. Experimental results suggested that the small rover with the function of push-pull locomotion can traverse slope surface of 20°.