Mechanism and Machine Theory 133 (2019) 347–364 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Mechanism and Machine Theory journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/mechmachtheory Research paper Power consumption of tracked and wheeled small mobile robots on deformable terrains–model and experimental validation Tianyou Guo a,∗ , Junlong Guo b,c,∗ , Bo Huang b,c , Huei Peng a a Department of Mechanical Engineering, G041 Lay Automotive Laboratory, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA b Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Weihai), Weihai 264209, China c Research Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Equipment, Weihai 264209, China a r t i c l e i n f o Article history: Received 9 August 2018 Revised 30 November 2018 Accepted 1 December 2018 Keywords: Power consumption Skid steering Tracked and wheeled mobile robots Deformable terrain a b s t r a c t The ability to predict the power consumption of a small mobile robot with either tracked or wheeled configuration is important to its design and control. Accurate and fast pre- diction of power consumption enables online motion planning that does not exceed the power limits imposed by the propulsion system or the terrain. Skid steering is widely used on small mobile robots because of its simplicity and robust performance. However, mod- eling of skid steering on deformable terrains is difficult because of the complex vehicle- terrain interaction and the distributed nature of shear stress along the contact surface. This paper first develops a new skid steering model based on terramechanics that is capa- ble of predicting torque and power consumption and is both accurate and computationally efficient. This skid steering model is verified using the experimental data obtained from a track/wheel interchangeable mobile robot driving on dry sand at low speeds. Further, this paper studies the comparison of power consumption between tracked and wheeled mo- bile robots on deformable terrains focusing on two different aspects: 1) the power losses due to internal friction and damping resistances of both tracked and wheeled configura- tions, measured from the robot, and 2) the power consumed by deforming the soft soil, using the power consumption model. Overall, this study provides new insights on power consumption of skid steering of both tracked and wheeled mobile robots on deformable terrains. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The number of small mobile robots utilized by civilian and military applications increased significantly over the past decade. These robots are widely used in industries where repetitive or risky missions such as planetary exploration, mili- tary, agriculture, mining, and construction work. A key aspect of vehicle autonomy is power consumption, which has be- come particularly relevant in applications with limited energy sources [1,2]. Most mobile robots already fielded today are tele-operated. One of the main obstacles to increase autonomy is to improve navigation, which requires the understanding ∗ Corresponding authors. E-mail addresses: tianyou@umich.edu (T. Guo), junlongg@hit.edu.cn (J. Guo). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2018.12.001 0094-114X/© 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.