Power Analysis for a Skid-Steered Tracked Mobile Robot

Abstract

Power consumption is a key element in mobile robot autonomy. This issue is more critical in tracked vehicles than in wheeled vehicles on account of relevant energy losses due to soil-track friction. This paper analyzes power efficiency in tracked mobile robots both from theoretical and experimental points of view. In particular, we have analysed power consumption for Auriga-beta, a 190 kg mobile robot with rubber tracks for skid steering. Novel implications of this study for path planning are presented in the paper