Research on Characteristics of Tracked Vehicle Steering on Slope

A special design is needed for an unmanned tracked vehicle (UTV) to meet the requirements of off-road environments and complex tasks. A loose surface is the main terrain for tracked vehicles in off-road driving. Slope steering is inevitable while driving in such conditions; hence, its performance is a major concern for tracked vehicles on loose terrain. This study investigates the slope steering performance of a tracked vehicle. An improved dynamic steering model is proposed when considering the shear stress-shear displacement relation of soil at the track-ground interface. The influence of ground characteristics on the slope steering performance of a tracked vehicle is illustrated. The track slip rate is adopted as an index to evaluate the influence of typical vehicle structure parameters on the slope steering performance of a tracked vehicle. This study provides technical support for the design and optimization of UTV.

Dynamic modelling of the steering performance of an articulated tracked vehicle using shear stress analysis of the soil

The steering performance is one of the major concerns in special engineering vehicle fields. This study aims to investigate the steering performance of an articulated tracked vehicle. An improved dynamic steering model for an articulated tracked vehicle is proposed when considering the shear stress–shear displacement relation of the soil at the track–ground interface. In this model, the mechanical, kinematic and dynamic models of the articulated unit are constructed to evaluate the movement performance of the articulated unit, and the kinematic and dynamic models of the front vehicle and the rear vehicle are developed to evaluate the steering performance. The created dynamic model is then applied to analyse the steering performance of a specific articulated tracked vehicle. A mechanically controlled united simulation model and actual tests of an articulated tracked vehicle are utilized to verify the established steering model. The results of the comparisons show the effectiveness of the proposed dynamic steering model.