Estimation of Locomotion States of Lunar and Planetary Rovers Using Wheel Chassis Strain

A strain generated in the chassis connected to a rover wheel can be used to estimate the rover's locomotion condition on rough terrain, such as the lunar or planetary surface. The transmission of motor power to the ground is impeded by loose soil covered with regolith, making it difficult to directly evaluate the performance of each wheel. To address this issue, strain gauges are used to measure deformation in the chassis, allowing quantification of changes that occur when there is a discrepancy in the traveling conditions between the front and rear wheels. The chassis strain data differs between the case where all wheels operate under the same conditions and the case where each wheel encounters different traveling states. Therefore, the rover's overall traveling condition can be estimated using a set of strain data collected from the wheel chassis.