Small Remotely Operated Screw-Propelled Vehicle

Dymitr Osiski and Ksawery Szykiedans

Faculty of Mechatronics, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
{d.osinski,k.szykiedans}@mchtr.pw.edu.pl
Abstract. This paper concerns a small remotely operated screw-propelled vehicle that was a topic of a master thesis tilted Design of screw-propelled vehicle. It begins with introduction, which briefly overviews basic features and
applications of screw-propelled vehicles. The second chapter describes in detail
designed remotely operated vehicle. The third chapter is focused on the simulation model of the vehicle implemented in Matlab-SIMULINK environment.
The last chapter concludes the work done.
Keywords: screw-propelled vehicle, screw propulsion, spiral propulsion,
auger driven, helical drive, screw rotor, remote controlled vehicle.

Introduction

1.1

Basics of Screw-Propelled Vehicles

Vehicles with wheels, continuous tracks or legs are commonly used in various engineering tasks. Screw-propelled vehicles are scarce and not a common sight. Such
vehicles employ at least one drive screw as a mean of locomotion. Drive screw is
usually a cylinder with a helical blade, similar to screw thread, which can rotate
around its longitudinal axis. The most widely used configuration employs two parallel
drive screws with opposite helix directions (one helix is clockwise, while the other is
counter-clockwise). Design of a screw-propelled vehicle designs is not limited to the
two screw configuration. While many screw-propelled vehicles use a number of pairs
of drive screws, there are also vehicles that employ an odd number of drive screws, as
well as vehicles using both drive screws and other means of locomotion, such as
wheels, skids or continuous tracks. Some of the designs make it possible to change
orientation of the drive screws with respect to vehicles frame in order to enhance the
maneuverability.
Screw-propelled vehicles are able to operate in a difficult terrain. They can traverse
soft, muddy ground or deep snow cover. Some of the designs are amphibian, which
allows them to operate in water, with drive screws working in a similar manner to
boat propellers. Screw-propelled vehicles usually develop a high tractive force.
Another feature is a simple design and low number of moving parts, especially when
compared with other means of locomotion in difficult terrain, such as tracked vehicles. The main disadvantages of screw-propelled vehicles are low maximum speed
and high power required due to significant energy losses. Moreover, such vehicles are
difficult to operate on rigid surfaces and can possibly damage surfaces they move on.
Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015
R. Szewczyk et al. (eds.), Progress in Automation, Robotics and Measuring Techniques,
Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing 351, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-15847-

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Small Remotely Operated Screw-Propelled Vehicle

The most notable screw-propelled vehicles are the American Marsh Screw Amphibian and Russian ZiL-29061. Marsh Screw Amphibian, developed by Chrysler in
1960s, was meant to be a utility terrain vehicle, but due to the behavior of screw propulsion on a rigid terrain was not considered a success. The ZiL was designed in
1970s as a rescue vehicle for cosmonauts that landed in inaccessible areas. Nowadays,
Australian vehicle MudMaster is used as a mean of dewatering and densification of
soil. The three vehicles are similar in size to a truck. Smaller screw-propelled vehicles
have also been developed. Spiral Track Autonomous Robot designed at Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory is a survey vehicle intended to operate in hostile environments. The Screw Drive Rover, developed at the Graduate University for Advanced Studies (Sokendai) in Japan was used as a help in validating simulation of
interaction between soil and drive screw. Remotely controlled screw-propelled vehicle was presented by Tyco toy company under the name of Terrain Twister. All of
the mentioned vehicles employ configuration of two parallel drive screws. Russian
company Tesh is working on improving the operation of screw-propelled vehicles on
rigid ground by combining the drive screws with rubber tires. When the vehicle is
operating on soft soil, the tires are deflated and the helixes of drive screws are in contact with the ground. The tires can be inflated to work on rigid ground like standard
tires.

Fig. 1. Illustration of several screw-propelled vehicles, approximately to scale. From top left:
MudMaster, ZiL-29061, Marsh Screw Amphibian, Spiral Track Autonomous Robot, Screw
Drive Rover, Terrain Twister

1.2

Principle of Operation

When the drive screw is rotated, the helix is pushed against the ground, what results
in reaction forces acting on the screw blade. The normal force is large, as the ground
cannot easily overstep the helix blade, while the tangent force is small, as the ground
can easily slide along the helix blade.

Fig. 2. Basic forces acting on helix blade, expanded view. Fn normal force acting on screw
blade, Ft tangent force acting on screw blade, helix angle, hatched rectangle
screw - ground contact area, gray line screw blade edge.

The dominant normal force can be expressed as two components longitudinal

and lateral. In the case of two parallel drive screws the angular velocities of the
screws may be adjusted, so that the lateral components counteract each other, while
the longi- tudinal components add up. As a result, the vehicle can move forward.
Varying the angular velocities can result in a change of vehicle velocity and direction
of motion. Depending on the angular speed of the helixes (and other factors, such as
terrain con- dition), a screw propelled vehicle can move forward, backward, sideways
and turn.
Torques acting upon the drive screw are torque developed by the motor driving the
screw, friction torque of the screw bearings, torque of the lateral components of forces
between the ground and the screw (usually acting upon the helix, but in the case of a
soft ground the forces can also act upon the drum of the drive screw) and resultant
torque dependent on angular acceleration and mass moment of inertia of the drive
screw.

Fig. 3. Components of the normal force acting upon the helix blade of a screw-propelled vehicle. Only two normal forces are illustrated. Fnl, Fnr normal forces acting upon the left and
the right screw blade, Flonl, Flonr longitudinal components of normal forces acting upon the left
and the right screw blade, Flatl, Flatr lateral components of normal forces acting upon the left
and the right screw blade, l, r angular velocities of the left and the right drive screws.

The surface on which a screw-propelled vehicle operates affects its movement abilities. On a rigid surface, when the screws are rotating in the same direction, the vehicle may roll sideways the area of contact between the drive screw and the ground
is very small, and the screws act as a set of wheels. In a similar scenario of co-rotating
screws, but on a soft ground, the vehicle may rotate around its vertical axis due to
large normal forces acting upon the helix blade submerged in mud, and will hardly
roll sideways.

Design of the Screw-Propelled Vehicle

2.1

Design Assumptions and Requirements

The design assumptions and requirements related to the vehicles functionality, operating environment and the user were formulated, giving a brief overview of the necessary functions and features of the device. The most important are listed below. The
designed screw-propelled vehicle was expected to be small, with the length, width
and height limited to 500 mm 400 mm 300 mm, and not heavier than 5 kg. It had
to employ at least one drive screw as a mean of locomotion and be able to traverse
difficult terrain such as mud. The maximum speed required was 50 mm/s.

2.2

Details of the Vehicle

A concept of remotely operated screw-propelled vehicle with two parallel drive

screws was chosen to be designed. Review of possible technical solutions was realized, with each possible solution followed by a list of its advantages and disadvantages, allowing one to choose the components which meet the relevant requirements.
The vehicle was designed with the aid of Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD software.
The three-dimensional model of the vehicle model was used as a basis for creation of
two-dimensional technical documentation in a form of engineering drawings.

Fig. 4. Kinematic scheme of the screw-propelled vehicle. Standard symbols depict toothed belt
transmissions, plain bearings, beam couplings and shafts.

The screw-propelled vehicles length, width and height are 348 mm 256 mm
177 mm. Its mass is 4.5 kg. The drive screws are located on the left and right side
of the main body. The main body supports all electric and electronic components.
Low height of the vehicle increases its stability, while the relatively large width helps
turning.

The drive screws are symmetric, both are 254 mm in length. The outside diameter
of drive screws is 70 mm, helix angle is 30. The right screw is clockwise, the left is
counter-clockwise. Height of the screw blade is 10 mm and its thickness is 1 mm.
The drum is made of 50 mm in diameter, 1 mm thick steel, chrome-coated pipe.
Blades are welded to the pipes. Shafts of the drive screws are mounted in polymer
plain bearings.

Fig. 5. Three-dimensional model of the screw-propelled vehicle

Mechanical power generated by two Modelcraft RB350050 brushed DC motors

with gearheads is transferred to the drive screws by means of beam couplings and
toothed belt transmissions, located at the rear of the vehicle. The DC motor provides
a maximum torque of 5.39 Nm and maximum rotational speed of 120 RPM. The pulley shaft is supported in polymer plain bearings, just as the to drive screws. Gear ratio
of the belt transmission is 2.5.
The DC motors are powered by REDOX 1800 mAh 11.1 V 20 C lithium-polymer
battery, controlled by two AVT5190B electronic speed control units. The units have
a built-in battery protection and over-temperature protection. One of them powers
an EK2-0420A 35 MHz receiver. The operation time of the vehicle depends on the
motor load and should be at least 12 minutes.
The main body is made of 2 mm thick sheet metal, bent in order to increase its
stiffness. The front of the vehicle contains an additional L-shaped sheet, while the rear
has a S-shaped sheet that supports the DC motors and the pulley shafts. The body is
powder coated. The body was to be protected with a clear polymer case with two
radiators on sides, but at present only a provisional case is available.
User can operate the vehicle by using E-Sky EK2-0404 remote control transmitter.
Two channels are used to independently control angular speed of the drive screws.

Fig. 6. Photography of the designed screw-propelled vehicle without case, top-down view

Simulation Model of the Screw-Propelled Vehicle

3.1

Implementation in Matlab-SIMULINK Environment

The simulation model is based on equations of motion and forces equilibrium. It depicts a screw-propelled vehicle with two parallel drive screws with opposite helix
directions and pitch constant along its axis. The screws can rotate independently and
can also be hinged, with the hinge located in the middle of each screw. The vehicle is
able to move on a plane and has 3 degrees of freedom two components in translation and one angle of rotation. The chosen assumptions and simplifications allowed
the mathematical model to remain fairly simple, while simultaneously providing
a model that depicts the movement of the screw-propelled vehicle in a reasonably
realistic way.
The mathematical model was implemented in Matlab-SIMULINK environment. In
order to obtain velocity and position of the vehicle, the translational and rotational
accelerations of the vehicle are integrated twice. The output data contain position of
the vehicle center of mass, its heading and lateral and longitudinal components of
vehicle velocity.
3.2

Exemplary Results of the Performed Simulations

Due to high number of tests performed and a limited volume, only three examples of
simulation results are presented in this chapter. Only the most important of userselectable simulation parameters relevant in these three cases are shown. In each test,
the vehicle starts in the center of Cartesian coordinate system. Initial translational and
rotational velocities are equal to zero. Each simulation study lasts for 10 seconds.

Contra-rotating Drive Screws

Fig. 7. Results of simulation of motion for contra-rotating drive screws. From the left: plot of
vehicle position, plot of vehicle forward velocity vs. time and illustration of the configuration
of the drive screws.

angular velocity of the left and the right drive screw: 6.28 rad/s and 6.28
rad/s
helix angle of the left and the right drive screw: 30
The screw-propelled vehicle moves forward, accelerating until it reaches a
maximum velocity dependent on angular velocity of the drive screws, helix pitch and
friction.
Co-rotating Drive Screws

Fig. 8. Results of simulation of motion for co-rotating drive screws. From the left: plot of vehicle position, plot of vehicle heading vs. time and illustration and illustration of the configuration of the drive screws.

angular velocity of the left and the right drive screw: 6.28 rad/s and 6.28
rad/s
helix angle of the left and the right drive screw: 30
The vehicle moves sideways while simultaneously turning.

Hinged, Co-rotating Drive Screws

Fig. 9. Results of simulation of motion for hinged co-rotating drive screws. From the left: plot
of vehicle position, plot of vehicle heading vs. time and illustration of the configuration of the
drive screws.

angular velocity of the left and the right drive screw: 6.28 rad/s and 6.28
rad/s
helix angle of the left and the right drive screw: 30
hinge angle of the left and the right drive screw: 30 and 30
Employing the hinging feature of the drive screws allows the vehicle to turn when
rolling sideways, enhancing its mobility when moving on a rigid surface.

Conclusion

The paper outlines most important parts of the master thesis focused on design of
screw-propelled vehicle. It begins with a description of features and applications of
screw-propelled vehicles. It also overviews the principle of operation of such vehicles. The basic design assumptions and requirements in regard to the vehicles functionality are stated, followed by a description of the designed screw-propelled vehicle.
The simulation model implemented in Matlab-SIMULINK environment is briefly
described, with examples of three performed tests. The designed remotely operated
screw-propelled vehicle fulfills the given requirements. The results of simulation
could be verified by a comparison with a real screw-propelled vehicle. The simulated
vehicle can move in similar manner to its real word counterpart, indicating that both
the mathematical model and its implementation are correct.

References
1. Freeberg, J.T.: A Study of Omnidirectional Quad-Screw-Drive Configurations for AllTerrain Locomotion. University of South Florida, Tampa (2010)
2. Knight, S.J., Rush, E.S., Stinson, B.G.: Trafficability Tests with the Marsh Screw
Amphibian on Coarse-Grained and Fine-Grained Soils. US Army Engineer Waterways
Experiment Station, Vicksburg (1964)
3. Kress, R.F.: Design Manual for Buoyant Screw Propulsion. Chrysler Corporation Defense
Operations Division, Detroit (1965)

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4. Liu, Q., Hayasaka, Y., Hanajima, N., Kawauchi, K., Yamashita, M., Hikita, H., Kazama, T.:
Development of a Spiral Propulsion Mechanism in Wetlands Relation between Torque
and Load. Muroran Institute of Technology, Muroran (2009)
5. Nagaoka K.: Study on Soil-Screw Interaction of Exploration Robot for Surface and
Subsurface Locomotion in Soft Terrain. Graduate University for Advanced Studies
(Sokendai), Hayama (2011)
6. Residue Solutions MudMaster,
http://www.residuesolutions.com.au/services/mudmasters
7. The Spiral Track Autonomous Robot,
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/robots/hazard/meetstar.html
8. Off-road Vehicle ZiL-29061,
http://sersarajkin.narod2.ru/ALL_OUT/TiVOut10/SKBZIL55/
SKBZIL55042.htm (in Russian)