DOUBLE LAMBDA ROCKER-BOGIE SUSPENSION

Improved: URT Suspension 2024 Assembly

Initial Design: URT 2022 Suspension Assembly

Improved: URT Suspension 2023 Assembly

    • Excessive Linkage Play: Subpar manufacturing resulted in undesired movement and vibrations in dynamic articulating linkages, particularly during skid steering.

    • Imbalanced Load Distribution: The rover was excessively back-heavy, leading to damage in underspecified components, such as the rear bearing flange.

    • Limited Terrain Conformation: Short bogie linkages restricted articulation, causing premature bottoming out.

    • Inadequate Tolerancing and Manufacturing: Over-reliance on 3D-printed components, including bearing press-fit flanges, linkage connectors, and spacers, where inappropriate.

    • Unrestricted Rear Suspension Rotation: Allowed the rover to flip 180° under certain conditions.

    • Weight Efficiency: Chassis construction limited to a maximum mass of 10kg.

    • Payload Capacity: Capable of supporting up to 10kg of front-mounted payloads with minimal deflection.

    • Internal Storage: Designed to accommodate 5kg of internally stored systems with minimal deflection.

    • Quick-Swap Payload System: Incorporates a rapid, swappable mounting system for front-mounted payloads.

    • Prototyping Flexibility: Utilises a weldless design to enable swift prototyping and easy modifications.

  • Item description

    • Weight:6061 Aluminium sheet metal and square beam construction weighed below 5kg

    • External Payload Capacity: up to 250kg statically front mounted payloads with 1mm maximum deflection (FEA results)

    • Internal Storage: up to 15 kilograms statically with 0.5 mm deflection on base plate (FEA results)

    • Quick Swap Payload System: significantly reduced process time and effort for payload removal (about 10 seconds attach-detatch)

    • Prototyping Flexibility: Weldless design that incorporates DMFA and Poka Yoke design philosophy for cost-effective and highly capable sub-system

In 2023, we improved the double lambda rover bogie suspension concept for 2024’s design, focusing on enhancing its dynamic articulation stability and terrain-conforming capabilities.

As the team gained experience, the suspension benefitted significantly from increased mechanical expertise and expanded internal manufacturing knowledge. Building on the progress made in 2023, ambitious targets were set for the 2024 suspension design.

Explore the dropdowns below to see how the 2024 rover has been improved compared to the 2023 model.

    • Large Radius of Gyration: Chassis integration not able to handle excessive frontward , such as center of mass shifting (extension of robotic arm)

    • Mounting Issues: Quick swap mounting plate would occasionally jam, requiring motion constraint to prevent a mechanical design singularity

    • Insufficient Fixture Points: Lacking points to mount specific payloads, such as cameras/webcams, LiDAR equipment, antennae and more

    • Weight Efficiency: Chassis construction limited to a maximum mass of 10kg.

    • Payload Capacity: Capable of supporting up to 10kg of front-mounted payloads with minimal deflection.

    • Internal Storage: Designed to accommodate 5kg of internally stored systems with minimal deflection.

    • Quick-Swap Payload System: Incorporates a rapid, swappable mounting system for front-mounted payloads.

    • Prototyping Flexibility: Utilises a weldless design to enable swift prototyping and easy modifications.

  • Item description

    • Weight: 6061 Aluminium sheet metal and square beam construction weighed below 5kg

    • Internal Storage: up to 15 kilograms with 0.5 mm deflection (FEA results)

    • External Payload Capacity: up to 30kg with 1mm maximum deflection (FEA results)

    • Quick Swap Payload System: significantly reduced process time and effort for payload removal (less than 10 seconds)

    • Prototyping Flexibility: Weldless design that incorporates DMFA and Poka Yoke design philosophy for cost-effective and highly capable sub-system

Similar to the chassis integration, the 2022 suspension had several critical flaws that needed addressing despite strong competition performance, most of which were due to inexperience with rocker-bogie suspensions in our first year of its application. 

Explore the dropdowns below to learn more about the issues faced and the solutions implemented.