Rocker-Bogie Rev 1 Test Plan

Targets

Be able to climb up a 20-degree sand slope
Be able to traverse flat ground at an average speed of 2 m/s at least

Because there are no specifically specced obstacles that the drivetrain must overcome at the competition, we should focus on determining the limits of the Rev1 model and gauge if we are satisfied/dissatisfied.

Theoretical Capabilities

Top speed of 1.3 m/s
- Assuming 10% efficiency loss per stage applied to the motor running at 80% efficiency (which is its efficiency when operating at the rated speed)
Capable of climbing up 19-degree grass hills without treads
Capable of climbing up to 11-degree sandhills without treads
Acceleration of aluminum build:
Acceleration of carbon-fiber build:

Test Plan Overview

Speed testing with the aluminum build will be an estimate, since the mass of the rover will be significantly heavier than the carbon fibre version

Goal	Data to collect

Goal	Data to collect
Characterize the current build	Determine overall mass Determine the rover’s centre of mass for each configuration (unloaded with mechanisms, arm mounted, science mounted) Build a teeter-totter that the rover can be placed and shifted around on. CoG is located when it balances Determine average rover speed on flat ground Determine average rover speed on a hill of a known angle Can use leveler app on phone to obtain an estimate of the angle Determine the maximum height of obstacle that the rover can overcome, as in, drive itself over successfully
Determine drivining fluidity	Drive over various terrain (peddbles, grass, loose sand) and obstacles of varying heights Are there any sticky spots in the suspension’s ability to conform to the terrain? Layout a path for the driver to try to follow with tight and wide turns Is it difficult to turn? Evaluation on turning scrub of wheels?
Determine optimal tread pattern	Speed of traversal on a hill of a known low-angle Create multi-factor design of experiments (or something similar) to compare significance of different tread styles and combinations (i.e. no tread or different tread on the front wheels vs back) Qualitative ability to climb a known high-angle hill Can it be scaled or not with the current tread configuration? Repeat of driving fluidity tests Do the treads affect the agility drastically? Keep track of how many tests are performed with the tread style before it wears and produces different performance
Determine causes for the drivetrain to rollover	Create an aggressive torque on the entire drivetrain by doing on-the-spot turns with aggressive stops and switching of directions Do with the different configurations Attempt to drive over tall obstacles at a high speed Do with the different configurations
Determine ability to achieve clear driver vision	Drive the rover across bumpy terrain, only using the vision system on board i.e. Move the drive to a separate room from the rover Is this a feasible task? Trap the rover (i.e. by beaching it or barricading it in somewhere) and have the driver try to free the rover, only using the vision system
Determine robustness of system Keep destructiveness to a level expected at competition	Differential bar performance & stability Create an aggressive rocking of the chassis with an abrupt stop from a high speed Wheeleez performance & wheel assembly stability Produce an impact load on the entire drivetrain by driving it off a vertical platform Is there any bending in the wheel assembly as a result? Entire system Create an aggressive torque on the entire drivetrain by doing on-the-spot turns with aggressive stops and switching of directions Does anything come loose or shift? To definitely check… The chassis location on the rocker beam The assembly at all joints on the suspension The assembly at all joints on the wheel assembly