Two models of force actuator based active suspension mechanisms for mobility on uneven terrain

In this paper we present two mechanisms of linear force actuator based actively articulated suspension vehicles and propose a strategy to control the wheel-ground contact forces to improve traction and to increase the no-slip margin and hence enhance the mobility of the vehicle on uneven terrain. We present the quasi-static analysis of each of the mechanisms to depict the ability of the systems to control the wheel-ground contact forces while negotiating uneven terrain with the help of feasibility plots. The first model is a vehicle with a 1-dof leg (referred to as LFA-V1) and can climb slopes upto 40 degrees but to further increase the capability of the robot we come with a modified design of the vehicle which has a 2-dof leg (referred to as LFA-V2) and can negotiate slopes with discontinuities greater than twice the wheel diameter.