불균일한 지형에서의 충격을 흡수하기 위한 컴플라이언트 스포크 트랙 메커니즘의 설계 및 모델링

Abstract

This study proposes a Compliant Spoke Track (CST) mechanism that integrates suspen- sions directly into the rotating components of a single-track system, enabling stable locomotion with a low center of gravity and enhanced impact absorption. The sprocket and roller each consist of an inner axle and an outer parts connected through suspensions, allowing the mechanism to absorb multi-directional impacts during traversal. The suspension placed inside the track belt must simul- taneously satisfy ground clearance, belt tension, and impact absorption, which define the key design constraints for determining an appropriate stiffness range. To ensure stable mobility on irregular terrain, a multi-body dynamics simulation with detailed contact modeling was conducted. Through this analysis, spring stiffness of 10 N/mm was identified as the optimal configuration, preventing belt ejection while maintaining high stability. The trajectory tracking performance during linear motion was evaluated using the root mean square error (RMSE), and the CST mechanism demonstrated up to a 58% reduction in lateral deviation compared to a conventional rigid-link track. These results indicate that the proposed mechanism effectively absorbs landing impacts and high-frequency vibra- tions. Future work will investigate the coupled effects of ground friction, robot velocity, and payload on suspension behavior, and a prototype will be fabricated to experimentally validate the simulation results in real-world terrain conditions.