A Highly Mobile Wheel-on-Leg Planetary Rover for use in a Mars Analogue Environment

Rovers used for Martian exploration have traditionally employed passive suspension systems that limit traversable obstacle height to the radius of the rovers' wheels and risk the rovers getting their wheels stuck in soft soil. To overcome these problems, a hybrid wheel-on-leg planetary rover capable of operating in multiple mobility modes has been designed. Its mobility system is composed of four legs with a wheel at the end of each leg, resulting in a platform with 16 degrees of freedom. The rover is capable of energy efficient driving as well as high traversability walking. In addition, the rover can orient its body into a stable configuration by raising and lowering its legs. To demonstrate its suitability, a multi-criteria decision analysis that evaluates the wheel-on-leg system against other rover concept designs is shown. A detailed design of the rover and proposed rover operations in a Mars analogue environment are also presented.