Basic Considerations for the Concepts of Wheeled off-Road Vehicles 2000-05-0387

The demand for greater mobility on unprepared terrain in all seasons by agriculture, construction, and the military has stimulated interest in the study of off-road vehicles. Thus the use of automobiles for cross-country movements and the potential for building more efficient automobiles and vehicles with high off-road mobility has also increased significantly.

The engineers and designers of off-road vehicles face a lack of generally recognized theories. Usually, the concept of terrain vehicles are developed very empirically and are based on principles of mechanics and land locomotion.

The author presents a general overview on models and considerations for wheeled off-road vehicle concepts.

First vehicle and soil are defined, then the interaction between these two elements is discussed.

Based on these models, methods to predict and measure traction of off-road vehicles are evaluated.

The relevant elements of off-road vehicles and their influence on mobility are presented. At last the human factors and future developments are shown.