Exploiting singular configurations for controllable, low-power, friction enhancement on unmanned ground vehicles
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Foris, Adam J.
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Abstract
This paper describes the design, validation, and performance of a new type of adaptive wheel morphology for
unmanned ground vehicles. Our adaptive wheel morphology uses a spiral cam to create a system that enables controllable deployment of high friction surfaces. The overall design is modular, battery powered, and can be mounted directly to the
wheels of a vehicle without additional wiring. The use of a tailored cam profile exploits a singular configuration to minimize power consumption when deployed and protects the actuator
from external forces. Component-level experiments demonstrate that friction on ice and grass can be increased by up to 170%. Two prototypes were installed on a 1:5 scale, radio-controlled rally car and tested. The devices were able to controllably deploy, increase friction, and greatly improve acceleration capacity on a
slippery, synthetic ice surface.
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2020-03-16
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