Design and Kinematics of an Active Suspension Rover for Extreme Terrains

Amid renewed efforts to establish a sustained human presence on the lunar surface, the development of advanced mobility systems capable of traversing extreme terrain has become increasingly critical. To address these needs, NASA has developed several mobility platforms, such as the Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV) and the Lunar Terrain Vehicle Ground Test Unit (LTV GTU), which combine swerve-drive kinematics with active suspension. These large-scale vehicles enable NASA to develop concepts of operations for future missions; however, their size and cost make extensive testing and performance evaluations difficult. To overcome these limitations, the Robotics and Automation Design (RAD) Lab has developed the RAD Exploration Vehicle (REV), a small-scale kinematics and controls testbed designed to model the kinematic degrees of freedom of these similar rovers. REV facilitates the investigation of new control modes and locomotion strategies for active suspension platforms. This paper presents the design and implementation of REV, emphasizing key features that enhance mobility and functionality. In addition, an adapted swerve-drive kinematic model for REV is described, followed by the results of ground-based kinematics validation tests.