Willem Petersen
Papers
2
Total Citations
15
H-Index
2
About
Willem Petersen specializes in terramechanics and planetary rover mobility, with a focus on modeling wheel-soil interactions for extraterrestrial exploration. His major contributions include the development of a volumetric contact model that enables efficient, closed-form solutions for simulating rover wheels operating on compliant and irregular terrains. This work, published in 2013, has garnered 9 citations and provides a foundation for fast multibody dynamic simulations critical to mission planning. Petersen further advanced the field with a nonlinear volumetric contact model, cited 6 times, which enhances accuracy by incorporating the properties of penetration volume into force calculations. His research bridges the gap between computational efficiency and physical fidelity, offering practical tools for designing rovers that can navigate challenging planetary surfaces. By addressing the complexities of wheel-soil interaction, Petersen’s models support the next generation of autonomous exploration vehicles, making his work a valuable resource for students and researchers in robotics and space engineering.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1A Volumetric Contact Model for Planetary Rover Wheel/Soil Interaction9 citations · 2013
- 2