Innovating Mobility: a Student Competition in Wheel and Track Design

Chen, D., & Sonalkar, C. S. (2025). Innovating Mobility: a Student Competition in Wheel and Track Design. In Susan Frankenstein, Massimo Martelli (Eds.), Proceedings of the 55th Conference of the ISTVS. Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA: ISTVS. DOI:https://doi.org/10.56884/IW5OTL1Q.

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a new initiative for an ISTVS Wheel/Track Design Student Competition, aimed at engaging students in terramechanics and providing hands-on experience in off-road wheel/track design and testing. The competition will challenge student teams to design and fabricate a wheel or track system for a small unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), which will then undergo a series of tractive performance and mobility tests in selected soil types and conditions. By minimizing costs and focusing on practical, accessible design and testing methods, the competition ensures that students from various backgrounds and disciplines at any educational institution can participate. To support accessibility, our goal is to initially maintain a low barrier to entry by utilizing free software and affordable materials whenever possible. For example, teams can use freely available CAD software, 3D printing or other rapid prototyping techniques. The competition details will vary from year to year. Initially, we propose a competition with two components: a laboratory-style terramechanics test rig with a single wheel soil test bin to test wheel/track design, and a small UGV similar to a radio-controlled (RC) car to test wheel/track design in different mobility/terrain tests. Performance tests may include measurement of drawbar pull, sinkage, slip, gross traction, and slope climbing characterization in alignment with ISTVS standards (He et al., 2020). A single-wheeled terramechanics test rig will assess the wheel/track performance in controlled environments, supplemented by the small vehicle-based mobility tests under various soil conditions in the field. Each competition will include design presentations and performance tests evaluated using structured scoring criteria. The performance evaluation will be conducted using a test matrix that examines both structural integrity and performance. Through this competition, students will gain valuable experience, develop innovative solutions, and establish connections to ISTVS, fostering the next generation of terramechanics engineers.