Design of Six-Wheeled Planetary Rover with a Novel Hybrid Suspension

Abstract

A novel hybrid suspension of six-wheeled planetary rover based on serial multi-articulated suspension is proposed. The differential balance support mechanism that is important component of the hybrid suspension and solves the problem of weak carrying capacity of serial suspension, is synthesized by using the constraint synthesis method based on screw theory and mechanism combination method. Taking the envelope volume and the maximum height of obstacles that can be overcome of the hybrid suspension rover as objective functions, the geometric parameters of the hybrid suspension structure are optimized through the elitist nondominated sorting genetic algorithm. The proposed hybrid suspension not only can conform passively to very rugged terrain, but also provides active mobility to cross obstacles and ditches, as well as passes soft terrain and steep slopes in wheel-legged locomotion. The established 3D and simulation models are used to simulate and verily the mobile performance of the hybrid suspension rover. The novel hybrid suspension has important reference significance for the design of the future lunar south pole rover.