Basic Components:

The mobility system has six independently motored Wire Mesh wheels, 3 on each side of the basic chassis box.  Wire mesh is used to prevent compacting the regolith.  Along the mesh are thin metal plates that help with traction.  We patterned our wheel design after the lunar  Lunokhod robots sent by Russia during the 1970’s.  [21]

There is individual suspension for front wheels and dual suspension for back two wheels.

The body can be lowered or raised from the wheel axles to allow for obstacle avoidance.  In the lower position the robot is very stable and low to the ground.  The drill can be operated in this position to give stability and enough pressure to drill into the soil and recover core samples. 

The front wheels pivot from right to left to allow for slippage correction when driving up or down slopes.  This lets the robot climb up to a 35 degree slope without sliding sideways.  The degree of the wheel pivot needed is determined by sensors attached to wheel base.  This is under automated computer control. 

The wheel cams send data to the navigation system.