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Machine learning

Estimation of Slip Ratio and Side Slip Angle of Wheeled Planetary Rovers Based on Trace Imprint

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Investigators at the Harbin Institute of Technology have proposed a new method to estimate the wheel slip ratio and side slip angle of wheeled rovers by processing images of wheel trace imprints. The method extracts structural features from trace imprint images, such as the trace unit, trace contour, and angle between the centerline of the trace unit and contour. The relationships between the structural trace imprint features and the wheel slip ratio and side slip angle have been revealed after a study of the underlying mechanism of trace imprint formation, with consideration of the kinematics of the wheel lug and lug-soil interaction.

Key Takeaways:

  • The proposed method can estimate both longitudinal slippage and lateral drift simultaneously, which typically occur in planetary rovers during traverse of cross slopes.
  • The method has been demonstrated to be effective through experiments using a rover wheel test-bed under various conditions.
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters.
  • The proposed method extracts structural features from trace imprint images, such as the trace unit, trace contour, and angle between the centerline of the trace unit and contour.
  • The relationships between the structural trace imprint features and the wheel slip ratio and side slip angle have been revealed after a study of the underlying mechanism of trace imprint formation.
  • The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Independent Project of State Key Laboratory of Robotics and Systems.
  • The authors of the research include Junlong Guo, Nan Li, Liang Ding, Haibo Gao, Chenghua Tian, and Chuan Zhou, all affiliated with the Harbin Institute of Technology.

Statistics:

  • The research was published in the IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, Volume 10, Issue 8, 2025, pages 7979-7986.
  • The proposed method was tested using a rover wheel test-bed under various conditions, including different types of terrain and wheel speeds.
  • The method was demonstrated to be effective in estimating both longitudinal slippage and lateral drift simultaneously.
  • The research was supported by a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), with a total funding of $200,000.

Sources:

  • Estimation of Slip Ratio and Side Slip Angle of Wheeled Planetary Rovers Based On Trace Imprint. Ieee Robotics and Automation Letters, 2025;10(8):7979-7986.
  • NewsRx. Investigators at Harbin Institute of Technology Report Findings in Robotics and Automation (Estimation of Slip Ratio and Side Slip Angle of Wheeled Planetary Rovers Based On Trace Imprint). Robotics & Machine Learning. August 4, 2025; p 262.

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