Multibody Simulation of Planetary Rover Mobility in Condition of Uncertain soft Terrain

Abstract Mobility analysis by computer multi-body simulation of wheeled rovers plays a fundamental role in planetary exploration programs. Considering that in space missions systems have to operate within an environment often times largely unknown, it turns out that embedding numerical analyses with stochastic methods can be beneficial. This work presents results from applying nondeterministic methods to mobility analysis of a planetary rover in condition of uncertain terrain properties. The terrain uncertainty is quantified by experimental measurements of the soil properties by a dedicated equipment. Next, the soil uncertainty is propagated through a multi-body model in order to assess the uncertainty of the rover position when traveling on soft soil. Probabilistic and non-probabilistic approaches are carried out and compared.