高速走行する月惑星探査ローバーのためのサスペンション機構の開発と実験的評価

抄録

Historically, several wheeled robots have been deployed on the Moon and Mars to conduct detailed exploration of the planetary surfaces. However, all of their traversing speeds are restricted to a few centimeters per second, thus covering only a limited area each day. To overcome this limitation and enable wide area exploration, our research group has developed a high-speed rover test bed to advance research on high-speed rover exploration on challenging terrains. The rover is equipped with a hybrid suspension system that combines a rocker mechanism and independent spring-damper suspension for each wheel to reduce vibrations at high speeds． To evaluate the effectiveness of this suspension mechanism, we conducted indoor experiments in which the rover overcame step-shaped obstacles using various suspension configurations.