Predicting mobility performance of a small, lightweight track system using the computer-aided method NTVPM

This paper describes the results of a study of applying the physics-based, computer-aided method — the Nepean Tracked Vehicle Performance Model (NTVPM), originally developed for evaluating the mobility of large, heavy tracked vehicles, to predicting the performance of a small, lightweight track system on sandy soil. The cross-country (tractive) performance of the track system predicted by NTVPM is compared with experimental data obtained in a laboratory soil bin by the Robotic Mobility Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is shown that the correlation between the tractive performance predicted by NTVPM and that measured is reasonably close, as indicated by the values of the coefficient of correlation, coefficient of determination, root mean squared deviation, and coefficient of variation. The results of this study provide evidence for supporting the view that physics-based methods, such as NTVPM, that are developed on the understanding of the physical nature and detailed analysis of vehicle-terrain interaction, are applicable to large, heavy, as well as small, lightweight vehicles, provided that appropriate terrain data are used as input.