A prototype locomotion concept for a lunar robotic explorer

Abstract

Carnegie Mellon University is pursuing research of robotic vehicles for lunar exploration. In our mission scenario two rovers will traverse one thousand kilometers on the Moon over a period of two years, starting in 1998. Throughout the mission the rovers will transmit to Earth rich video telemetry to be used by theme parks ventures and scientist worldwide. Critical to achieving the goals of the two-year mission is the rover's locomotion capability. The requirements of survivability in the harsh lunar environment, substantial terrainability and long term reliability drive the configuration of the locomotion system. These performance requirements have led to the consideration of a wheeled configuration as the preferred locomotion scheme for the intended lunar traverse. To achieve substantial climbing capability and mitigate body excursions we selected a six-wheeled configuration that utilizes pivot arm linkages for body suspension. In this paper we discuss the configuration of robotic locomotion for the moon, and describe analysis and experimental results obtained through testing of a physical prototype.