Research on traction performance of variable-configuration wheel-track unmanned ground vehicle on sandy soil slopes

The wheeled unmanned ground vehicle has fast maneuvering speed, and the tracked unmanned ground vehicle has strong passing capacities. The traditional single walking mode unmanned ground vehicle cannot balance the advantages of both. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new type of unmanned ground vehicle that can adopt the most suitable walking mode for different terrain environments to improve the environmental adaptability. To this end, a novel type of variable-configuration wheel-track unmanned ground vehicle (VCWT-UGV) has been proposed. VCWT-UGV can not only achieve changes in walking mode to achieve high adaptability to the environment, but also maximize the utilization of vehicle maneuverability through adjustment of driving configuration. Based on the terramechanics theories, the passing capacity of VCWT-UGV on soft slopes is analyzed. The analysis results shows that the combination of walking mode and driving configuration can achieve various driving needs and maximize the performance potential.