The Bekker Model Analysis for Small Robotic Vehicles

This paper uses the Bekker model for land locomotion analysis to compare ground vehicle vehicles with different running gear configurations. The Bekker model is inherently phenomenological in nature and requires empirical data to both calibrate and validate the methodology for realistic soil/terrain conditions. This formalism consists of two fundamental equations. The first uses the Coulomb-Mohr law and a linear, one degree of freedom spring/mass/damper model to predict terrain shear rates from maximum vehicle tractive effort. The second empirically predicts soil sinkage as a function of ground pressure loading. The latter contains no phenomenological link to the continuum mechanics of terrain materials and conditions.