Evaluating the Performance of the Novel Spoke Design in the SCOUT rover’s Rimless Wheels

This study evaluates the performance of a newly designed spoke geometry for the rimless wheels of the SCOUT rover. Developed at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), this lightweight robotic platform is intended for exploration of challenging extraterrestrial terrain, such as lava tubes and steep rocky environments. The redesign introduces continuous thickness, optimized curvatures, and a 3D bend that gives the rover an elliptical wheel profile. This is intended to enhance durability, driving performance, and the rovers ability to upright itself after tipping on its side. A comprehensive series of tests was conducted at the DLR Moon-Mars analog testbed and on adjacent asphalt terrain. These included linear driving, point turning, obstacle traversal, as well as controlled flipping and uprighting maneuvers. Tests were run on both hard and loose surfaces, using both automatic and manual control schemes where applicable. Performance was assessed primarily by time-to-completion metrics under consistent test conditions for both old and new spoke designs.