Modeling and Validation of Mobility Characteristics of the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover

This paper describes recent work toward developing a terramechanics-based modeling and validation infrastructure for characterizing the Curiosity rovers mobility properties on the Mars surface. The resulting simulation tool, ARTEMIS (Adams-based Rover Terramechanics and Mobility Interaction Simulator), is composed of a MSC-Adams dynamic rover model, a library of terramechanics subroutines, and high-resolution digital elevation maps of the Mars surface. Rover-terrain interactions that are modeled include longitudinal, lateral, and vertical wheel-terrain interaction forces, the effect of slip sinkage, and multi-pass effects. A single wheel ARTEMIS model was also developed. Model validation has been performed via several complementary methods. Mobility properties of a Curiosity rover flight spare wheel have been analyzed at the Robotic Mobility Groups terramechanics lab at MIT using a single wheel test rig capable of reproducing forced-slip and freeslip conditions. In order to evaluate ARTEMIS potential in full, the simulation was used to model the performance of the Mars-weight Curiosity test rover (a.k.a. Scarecrow) while operating in realistic scenarios.