TRUSTS: A novel treadmill-based multifunctional testing system for performance evaluation of wheeled planetary exploration rover

This paper presents a novel treadmill-based multifunctional testing system (TRUSTS) to execute ground testing for wheeled planetary exploration rover (WPER) in both regular and extreme physical conditions before launching. The TRUSTS with specially-made components featuring compact structure and multifunctional testing items comprises a traction loading subsystem (TLS) and a treadmill-based resistance torque loading subsystem (TRTLS). The former offers the working modes including traction loading, position holding, and range limiting. The latter offers working modes including resistance torque loading and leader–follower tracking. By appropriately allocating the working modes of two subsystems, the TRUSTS is capable of conducting diverse testing items. The customized controllers for the TLS and the TRTLS are proposed to guarantee the operation performance of the TRUSTS in all testing items. Extensive experimental results on a Mars rover prototype in both regular and extreme physical conditions demonstrate that the devised TRUSTS could effectively executing trafficability and maneuverability as well as adaptability tests with reliable scenarios and satisfactory precisions of motion tracking and traction/torque loading, which makes the TRUSTS a favorable choice for comprehensive performance assessment of rover in simulant extraterrestrial environment.