Lateral Stability of Vehicle with Interlocking Spikes

The interlock drive system generates traction by penetrating narrow articulated spikes into the ground and by using the strength of the deeper soil layers to resist horizontal draft forces. The system promises good tractive performance in low gravity environments where tires generate little traction due to low vehicle weight. Possible applications include heavy-duty vehicles for civil engineering tasks like earthmoving or mining excavation. Safe vehicle operation in complex terrain geometry requires lateral vehicle stability to prevent vehicle rollover. Good lateral stability is a particular requirement for excavation and piling operations where the margins of safety define the terrain geometry that can be worked in, and it is a major constraint in operational planning. An earthmoving vehicle that can operate at a high roll angle reduces the need to maintain ramps in pits and on piles and can shorten and simplify the paths for individual maneuvers. Here we report on several field trials on the lateral stability of an earthmoving vehicle that uses the interlock drive systems. We find that the vehicle can work well at roll angles of up to 20°, but that it needs further improvement if work at roll angles of 30° or more is required.