Development of Multi-Layered Wheels for Lunar Rover

To enhance the running performance of lunar rovers on regolith, we have proposed the application of multi-layered wheel designs in our studies. The design builds upon a previously developed three-blade wheel that demonstrated strong running performance but suffered from vertical vibrations, due to cyclic variation between the wheel axle and the ground.In this study, we design and construct wheels by vertically layering multiple sets of blades, with each set phase-shifted relative to the others. Experiments conducted in a running test field using lunar soil simulant reveal that the proposed design maintains high running performance while significantly reducing vertical vibrations compared to one-layered wheels.