Development and Analysis of Additively Manufactured Non-Pneumatic Tires for Mars Rover

Abstract

Mars rovers are developed using the most sophisticated technology. Competitions such as the University Rover Challenge (URC), European Rover Challenge (ERC), and Anatolian Rover Challenge (ARC) encourage students to become acquainted and experienced with cutting-edge technology. This paper focuses on the development and analysis of a modified version of a non-pneumatic tire (NPT) for the MIST Mars rover “Phoenix 2.0.” Recent studies show that NPT has a good potential to replace conventional tires. To optimize the tire design for the rover, many design aspects are considered. The additive manufacturing process is used to fabricate the tire model to ensure the proper geometrical shape and usage of material. Later, a static structural analysis is conducted to investigate the stress and deformation of the tire that it may experience during rover operation. The developed deformation and stress in this analysis are well protected by the honeycomb structures that are optimized from many design attempts. The result shows a positive indication of meeting the desired criteria that eventually results in the fabrication of the tire and participation in the ARC competition. This research will inspire others to contribute to the advancement of NPT in various circumstances where pneumatic tires perform inadequately.