Application of a multi-stage bogie suspension system to the planet exploration vehicles

To design more and more dynamically stable vehicles to be able to use in exploration tasks in rough terrain environment of solar system planets is extremely important because of the difficulties in manipulating the vehicle from a long distance. In this study the application of innovative multi-stage bogie suspension system to a rough terrain vehicle and effects of changing the parameters of this suspension system on vehicle's stability has been Investigated. Firstly mathematical model of rough terrain has been created. In this model rough terrain is thought as an interpolated spline in which the obstacles are assumed as control points. Then an off-road vehicle with a new type of a bogie suspension system has been represented. It has been shown that, increasing the number of the stages of bogie mechanism results in a more stable vehicle when moving on a rough terrain. To eliminate the effects of inertia forces, vehicle is assumed as quasi-static. Solution of this analysis has been given as computer generated simulation and graphics.