Modeling and Stress Analysis of a Manipulator Mounted on a Mars Rover

At the Częstochowa University of Technology a Mars rover, which is able to participate in many different kinds of competitions has been built. A manipulator is a key element of the Martian rover. It has to be multi-functional and be able to carry the objects in various sizes and shapes. In the paper a geometrical and computational models of a manipulator used for the construction of real object have been presented. On the basis of the created models the strength analyses have been done in order to obtain the weight optimization and precise motion control. The studies have been carried out for three different materials and several configurations of the investigated system.