Lukas Garbacik
Research Mentor(s): Cheng Li
Mentor Department: Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering
Authors: Lukas Garbacik, Yun Zhang, Chen Li
Session: Session 2 (10:00am – 10:50am)
Presentation Type: Poster 60
Abstract
This research focuses on developing a simulation model to represent a granular, dynamical system, in low-gravity environments, supporting future optimization of rover designs for Phobos exploration of the JAXA MMX mission. Built using Chrono (an open-source physics library) and their DEM submodule, the simulation models a granular bed to replicate the behavior of regolith under external forces. The primary focus has been on constructing a lightweight, yet representative simulation environment. This includes designing an architecture with distinct source and build directories, integrating particle modeling libraries, and developing a visual display program to display simulation outcomes with real-time visualization. Our granular bed simulations include mutable parameters to represent varying physical conditions, allowing us to test different wheel models in various gravity and terrain conditions. Since we are continuing to fine tune our model to replicate our team’s design, the code architecture is designed in such a way that future additions can be added, such as CAD models of wheels and multi-body dynamics. Our work provides a good foundation for the significantly more detailed investigation of mechanical interactions in designing and testing rover mobility for Phobos exploration. The groundwork laid thus far has been setting up our build system in full, implementing visualization mechanics, and we are ready for further refinement and expansion. This phase of our research thus paves the way for a series of upcoming trials and experiments over the next several weeks, which will yield more significant numerical results to be analyzed.
