SILVRCLAW

Goal:

Create a deployable, inflatable rigidizing wheel for planetary rover exploration.

 

Principal Investigator:

Greg Mungas

 

Project Status:

Complete.  Successful deployment of second prototype.  Most current rev was indicative of a flight wheel in that it was fully  stow-able, inflatable, and autonomously heated.  Additionally a previous wheel rev (seen below at Proto-Innovations, LLC, Pittsburgh headquarters; Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute spinoff.)  First prototype has currently demonstrated >80km of runs in Mars-like worst case “weak” soils at up to 167 kg of Mars equivalent wheel load with minimal wheel wear and no recorded failures (average power consumption of <2.4W at 133 m/hr). Largest obstacle climbed to date is ~75cm with 101kg Mars equivalent load. Largest gap traversed is 1.2m. Max speed under peak wheel load was 2km/hr. Advanced tread, rock-climbing performance, and wheel deployability is currently under investigation.

 

Publications:

C. Mungas, G. Mungas, D. Apostolopoulos, D. Fisher, M. Wagner, "SILVRCLAW III Advanced Wheel Design and Testing." IEEEAC #1300, IEEE 2007

 

G. Mungas, D. Apostolopoulos, D. Fisher, C. Mungas, B. Carryer, S. Hays, M. Wagner, J. Teza, “SILVRCLAW II Analysis, Prototype Development, and Testing.”  IEEAC #1582, IEEE 2006

 

G. Mungas, J Boynton, “SILVRCLAW An Inflatable Rigidizing wheel Technology for Planetary Rover Applications.”  IEEAC #1492, IEEE 2005

 

Firestar Engineering, llc