DYNAMICS OF TRACKED VEHICLES

This paper provides a brief review of the state-of-the-art of tricked vehicle dynamics, including mobility over soft terrain, ride dynamics over rough surfaces and manoeuvrability. It is found that considerable progress has been made in the development of analytical frameworks fo r evaluating and predicting tracked vehicle mobility over soft terrain , taking into al:count the characteristics of terrain response to norm al and shear loading. Certain computer simulation models for tracked v ehicle mobility have been gaining increasingly wide acceptance by indu stry and governmental agencies in product development and in procureme nt. It is also found that most of the research on tracked vehicle ride dynamics and manoeuvrability is confined to operations on rigid surfa ces. To achieve a realistic evaluation and prediction of the dynamic b ehaviour of tracked vehicles in the field, the key is to have a better understanding of terrain response to dynamic vehicular loading, inclu ding its dynamic stiffness and damping. Challenges that face vehicle d ynamicists in this emerging field are identified.