Mars Rover Compound

I restructured the interior wheel dynamic motion to create a better flow system instead of such thin or breakable terrain shocks, I thickened them to give the wheels each better grasp on the task they have. I also engaged more of a fluid core, where before my axels were the first thing I modeled, I’m making the choice to start with the axel caps instead and work my way out. Thanks for reading, feel free to shoot me any ideas if you have them!

I was looking at the Mars Discovery rover, and chose to move away from rigid tires in favor of a compliant, open-framed suspension mechanism. The CAD design features a rugged outer tread ring embedded with deep, aggressive grousers to grab loose sand and climb over jagged terrain without slipping. Inside the rim, a wavy inner spring strip acts as a local shock-absorption layer to distribute the rover’s weight evenly. Rather than relying on a solid hub spoke pattern, I modeled an elegant crossed-wire system under tension to act as the primary suspension. This thin wire matrix suspends the central axle hub while giving the wheel just enough mechanical play to flex under load, dampening harsh vibrations before they ever reach the delicate scientific payloads on the main chassis. Balancing the structural flexibility of the inner components with the raw grit of the external grousers was a challenge, but I got it in the end!

I’m working on modeling an all original Mars Rover Compound that incorporates different aspects from my previous Engineering projects. I want to add multiple different spaces for storage as well as design a functioning arm. I don’t have the time or resources to build it in real life sadly, but I think I can get the fully working model before Stardance ends :)