Gross motion characteristics of articulated mobile robots with pure rolling capability on smooth uneven surfaces

This study presents the gross motion characteristics of articulated wheeled vehicles with slip-free motion capability on several kinds of smooth uneve n surfaces. These vehicles possess variable-length axles to eliminate kinem atic slipping at the wheel-surface contacts. A numerical procedure to solve for the combined holonomic-nonholonomic set of equations that result from considering the exact kinematics of rolling on uneven surfaces is presented . The article provides insight into the relationship between variations in the axle lengths and kinematic parameters such as path curvature and vehicl e-surface contact geometry.