Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T04:03:50.378Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Kinematics-Based Simulation and Animation of Articulated Rovers Traversing Uneven Terrains

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2019

Mahmoud Tarokh Open the ORCID record for Mahmoud Tarokh [Opens in a new window]  and
Huy Dang Ho
Mahmoud Tarokh*
Affiliation:
Department of Computer Science, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA E-mail: danghuyho@yahoo.com
Huy Dang Ho
Affiliation:
Department of Computer Science, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA E-mail: danghuyho@yahoo.com
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: mtarokh@sdsu.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The paper develops a simulation and animation environment for high-mobility rovers based on kinematic modeling. Various kinematic chains starting from the rover body to the wheels are analyzed and aggregated to obtain the model of the rover body motion in terms of the wheel motions. This model is then used to determine the actuations of the joints, wheels speed, and steering motors to achieve a desired motion of the rover over uneven terrain while avoiding loss of balance and tip-over. The simulation environment consists of a number of modules, including terrain and trajectory generation, and kinematic models for rover actuation and navigation. The animation of the rover motion over various terrains is developed, which allows observing the rover from various viewpoints and interacting with the system through a graphical user interface. The performance of the overall system is demonstrated by modeling a high-mobility space exploration rover, and the responses of the rover on uneven terrains are provided, which show the usefulness of the proposed modeling, simulation, and animation scheme.

Keywords

Rover motion simulationRover kinematic modelingRover animation
Type
Articles
Information
Robotica , Volume 37 , Issue 6 , June 2019 , pp. 1057 - 1072
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Iagnemma, K., Kang, S., Shibly, H. and Dubowsky, S., “On-line terrain parameter estimation for planetary rovers,” IEEE Trans. Rob. 20(2), 921–927 (2004).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ishigami, G., Miwa, A., Nagatani, K. and Yoshida, K., “Terramechanics-based model for steering maneuver of planetary exploration rovers on loose soil,” J. Field Rob. 24(3), 233–250 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gonzales, R. and Iagnemma, K., “Slippage estimation and compensation for planetary exploration rovers. State of the art and future challenges,” J. Field Rob. 35(4), 564–577 (2018).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xiaoer, T. and Hehua, J., “Modeling and Simulation for Lunar Rover Based on Terramechanics and Multibody,” Proceedings of the 32nd Chinese Control Conference, Xi’an, China (2013) pp. 8687–8692.Google Scholar
Azimi, A., Kovecses, J. and Angeles, J., “Wheel–soil interaction model for rover simulation and analysis using elastoplasticity theory,” IEEE Trans. Rob. 29(5), 1271–1288 (2013).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gao, H., Li, W., Ding, L., Deng, Z., Liu, Z. and Guo, J., “Algorithm Analysis for a Rover Simulation Platform,” International Conference on Electronic and Mechanical Engineering and Information Technology, Harbin, China (2011) pp. 666–669.Google Scholar
Yang, Y.-C., Baol, J.-S., Jin, Y. and Cheng, Y.-L., “A virtual simulation environment for lunar rover: Framework and key technologies,” Int. J. Adv. Rob. Syst. 5(2), 201–208 (2008).Google Scholar
Zhou, F., Arvidson, R. E., Bennett, K., Lindemann, R., Belluta, P., Iagnema, K. and Senatore, C., “Simulations of Mars rover traverses,” J. Filed Rob. 31(1), 141–160 (2014).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flessa, T., McGookin, E. and Thomson, D., “Numerical Stability of Inverse Simulation Algorithms Applied to Planetary Rover Navigation,” Proceedings of the 24th Mediterranean Conference on Control and Automation, Athens, Greece (2016) pp. 901–906.Google Scholar
Worrall, K., Thomson, D. G., McGookin, E. W. and Flessa, T., “Autonomous Planetary Rover Control using Inverse Simulation,” 13th Symposium on Advanced Space Technologies in Robotics and Automation, Noordwijk, Netherlands (2015) pp. 724–729.Google Scholar
Oikawa, T. 1, Walker, J. and Yoshida, K., “Experimental Evaluation of Thermal Simulation Model for Lunar Exploration Rover,” Proceedings of IEEE/SICE International Symposium on System Integration, Nagoya, Japan (2015) pp. 882–887.Google Scholar
Archila, J. F., Moreira, M., Van Halts, V. I., Neto Alves, L. A., Rueda, O. E. and Becker, M., “Simulation of Rovers for Precision Agriculture,” Proceeding of Joint Conference on Robotics: SBR-LARS Robotics Symposium and Robocontrol, Sao Carlos, Brazil (2014) pp. 229–234.Google Scholar
Schenker, P. T., Huntsberger, T. L., Pirjanian, P., Baumgartner, E. and Tunstel, E., “Planetary rover developments supporting Mars exploration, sample return and future human robotic, colonization,” J. Auton. Rob. 14, 103–126 (2003).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Volpe, R., “Rover Functional Autonomy Development for Mars Mobile Science Vehicles,” Proceeding of IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, USA (2003) pp. 643–652.Google Scholar
Baerveldt, A. J. (ed.), “Agricultural Robotics,” In: Autonomous Robots, vol. 13-1 (Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands, 2002).Google Scholar
Iagnemma, K. and Dubowski, S., “Traction control of wheel mobile robots in rough terrain with applications to planetary rovers,” Int. J. Rob. Res. 23(10-11), 1029–1040 (2003).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tarokh, M., McDermott, G., Hayati, S. and Hung, J., “Kinematic Modeling of a High Mobility Mars Rover,” Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Detroit, MI, USA (1999) pp. 992–998.Google Scholar
Tarokh, M. and McDermott, G., “Kinematics modeling and analysis of articulated rovers,” IEEE Trans. Rob. 21(4), 539–553 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDermott, G., Tarokh, M. and Mireles, L., “Balance control of articulated rovers with active suspension systems,” Proceedings of the 7th IFAC International Conference on Robot Control, Bologna, Italy (2006) vol. 8, Pt. 1.Google Scholar
Tarokh, M., Ho, H. D. and Bouloubasis, A., “Systematic kinematics analysis and balance control of high mobility rovers over rough terrain,” Rob. Auton. Syst. 61(1), 13–24 (2013).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Craig, J., Introduction to Robotics – Mechanics and Control (Pearson Publishers, London, England, 2018) pp. 72–75.Google Scholar
Nakamura, N., Advanced Robotics-Redundancy and Optimization, Chapter 4 (Addison-Wesley, Boston, 1991).Google Scholar