Mobility Performance Analysis of an Out-Door Mobile Robot with Foldable Wheels

An outdoor wheeled mobile robot with foldable wheels and a self-adapting suspension structure are described. The traffic ability and obstacle surmounting performance are analysed based on a terramechanics model. The relationship between the radius of the foldable wheel and the unfolding angle is obtained. The influence of slip on drawbar pull and the driving efficiency at different unfolding angles are calculated, so the influence of the foldable wheel on stability and obstacle surmounting performance do. At last an experiment will be carried out. The experimental results indicate that the mobile robot with foldable wheels has a better obstacle surmounting performance. This will make the robot adapt to the rough terrain better and broaden its application field.