Effects of terrain irregularities on wheeled mobile robot

The influence of ground irregularities on the behavior of a wheeled mobile robot (WMR) navigating on uneven surfaces is addressed. The paper studies the vibratory movements induced on the body of the WMR, in order to analyze its ability for carrying out on-board tasks, and on the accuracy of the data collected by its external sensorial systems. The adhesion capability of the wheels of the WMR on this uneven terrain is also studied, since it conditions the braking, traction and steering performance. The method is applied to the WMR RAM.