Simulation-Aided Design of Soft, Shape-Adapting Wheels for Locomotion on Sandy Terrains

Strategic Insights -

Fresh data on robotics and artificial intelligence are presented in a new report from Delft University of Technology. According to the research, locomotion over granular terrain poses significant challenges for autonomous robotic systems, particularly in coastal regions characterized by loose, shifting sands. To optimize the locomotion on these challenging terrains, a simulation-aided design approach was used to develop a soft, shape-adapting, wheeled locomotion system. The research demonstrated improved performance of the shape-adapting wheels across a variety of sandy terrains, including slopes and obstacles.

Key Takeaways:

  • A simulation-aided design approach was used to develop a soft, shape-adapting, wheeled locomotion system for autonomous robotic systems operating on sandy terrains.
  • The system employs a co-simulation framework combining the discrete element method (DEM) and multibody dynamics (MBD) to simulate the locomotion of a wheeled robot on varying sandy soils.
  • A shape-adapting wheel design is proposed, incorporating soft, inflatable elements that enable the wheel to transform between lugged and circular configurations.
  • A discretized flexbody approach is adopted to model the interactions between the sandy soil and the soft, flexible bodies of the shape-adapting wheel design.
  • Simulation results demonstrate improved performance of the shape-adapting wheels across a variety of sandy terrains, including slopes and obstacles.
  • Integrating softness into the wheel improves obstacle climbing performance, while a lugged wheel configuration performs particularly well on loose, dry sandy slopes.
  • The research concluded that this DEM-MBD co-simulation further enables efficient evaluation of locomotion strategies without the need for extensive physical prototyping.
  • The study was conducted by a team of researchers from Delft University of Technology, including H. Shi, P. Klaassen, D. L. Schott, and J. Jovanova.
  • The research has implications for the development of autonomous robotic systems operating in challenging environments, such as coastal regions with loose, shifting sands.

Statistics:

  • 12 (Frontiers in Robotics and AI)
  • 2025 (year the research was published)
  • 1686519 (DOI number of the journal article)
  • 10.3389/frobt.2025.1686519 (DOI link to the journal article)
  • 688 (page number where the news report was published)

Sources:

  • Reinventing the wheel: a simulation-aided design of a soft, shape-adapting, lugged wheel for locomotion on sandy terrains. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 2025,12.
  • http://www.frontiersin.org/Robotics_and_AI (publisher's website)
  • https://doi-org.sdpl.idm.oclc.org/10.3389/frobt.2025.1686519 (DOI link to the journal article)
  • NewsRx LLC (publisher of the news report)