Predicting mobility performance of a small, lightweight track system using the computer-aided method NTVPM

•The physics-based model NTVPM is used to predict the performance of a small, lightweight track system.•The performance predicted using NTVPM is compared with test data on sandy soil.•The correlations between the performance predicted by NTVPM and that measured in experiments are reasonably close.•Results show that the physics-based model NTVPM is applicable to predicting track systems of various sizes.

This paper describes the results of a study of applying the physics-based, computer-aided method – the Nepean Tracked Vehicle Performance Model (NTVPM), originally developed for evaluating the mobility of large, heavy tracked vehicles, to predicting the performance of a small, lightweight track system on sandy soil. The objective is to examine the applicability of NTVPM to predicting the cross-country performance of small, lightweight tracked vehicles on deformable terrain. The performance of the track system predicted by NTVPM is compared with experimental data obtained in a laboratory soil bin by the Robotic Mobility Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is shown that the correlation between the tractive performance predicted by NTVPM and that measured is reasonably close, as indicated by the values of the coefficient of correlation, coefficient of determination, root mean squared deviation, and coefficient of variation. The results of this study provide evidence for supporting the view that physics-based methods, such as NTVPM, that are developed on the understanding of the physical nature and detailed analysis of vehicle–terrain interaction, are applicable to large, heavy, as well as small, lightweight vehicles, provided that appropriate terrain data are used as input.