DEFORMABLE WHEEL WITH SIMPLIFIED DESIGN FOR LUNAR AND MARTIAN CONDITIONS
DRIVE
March 12, 2026
The application relates to a deformable wheel with non-pneumatic load bearing intended to equip a vehicle for rolling under extreme conditions such as those encountered on the Moon and on Mars, comprising a hub, an annular tread intended to be in contact with the soil, positioned around the hub which is concentric therewith and comprising a layer of composite material coated with at least one protective layer, and a plurality of metal cables whose outer diameter is comprised between 0.2 mm and 5 mm, each cable connecting the hub to the tread while being fixed, on the one hand by an external end to the tread, and on the other hand by an internal end to the hub by an elastic member making it possible to modulate the radial stiffness of the cables, each elastic member being associated with an abutment able to limit its deformation.
Discussion in the ATmosphere