Research on Characteristics of Tracked Vehicle Steering on Slope

A special design is needed for an unmanned tracked vehicle (UTV) to meet the requirements of off-road environments and complex tasks. A loose surface is the main terrain for tracked vehicles in off-road driving. Slope steering is inevitable while driving in such conditions; hence, its performance is a major concern for tracked vehicles on loose terrain. This study investigates the slope steering performance of a tracked vehicle. An improved dynamic steering model is proposed when considering the shear stress-shear displacement relation of soil at the track-ground interface. The influence of ground characteristics on the slope steering performance of a tracked vehicle is illustrated. The track slip rate is adopted as an index to evaluate the influence of typical vehicle structure parameters on the slope steering performance of a tracked vehicle. This study provides technical support for the design and optimization of UTV.