The International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems has been active in the field of terramechanics since its foundation in 1962. The roots are deeply grounded in the field of vehicle mobility and soil mechanics, both for civil and military purposes. The first years of the society saw the pioneering activity of one of the founders of terramechanics, Professor Gregory Bekker, who also played an active role in the design of rovers used for lunar exploration, using techniques and solutions that maintain their validity after more than forty years. The technology scenario has faced substantial changes in the last decades, and ISTVS has expanded its activity toward fields spanning from electronic control of machines to autonomous operation, from functional safety to environmental protection in machine operation, from sustainable agriculture to efficient energy use in construction equipment, yet maintaining its original focus on mobility and soil mechanics. The key concept in these changes is technology integration: a scenario in which different skills and competencies cooperate using solutions from different fields to find harmonized solutions for the challenges coming from an ever-changing environment, all with limited resources. The vehicle is seen as a system, where different subsystems perform functions with the common target of getting the most efficient operation for a mission profile. This rather simple paradigm, applicable to all different vehicle operation modes, conceals a tremendous complexity in design challenges, and requires a unique blend of competencies. The ISTVS main mission is to create the scientific environment where this discovery process can evolve efficiently. One of the most exciting activities launched by ISTVS in the recent years is the focus group on planetary rovers, which to a certain extent updates the studies from Professor Bekker from a new perspective, where traditional studies on mobility and soil characterization join with a novel approach to remote control, vision, autonomous operation, reliability, and maintenance. The intent is the creation of a challenging environment for the exchange of new ideas that can eventually find application in daily practice, as the successful story of lunar exploration teaches. ISTVS does not promote research activities directly at the time being; its work progresses through the findings of its members, through the promotion of the exchange of ideas, contacts, and position papers, and through international and regional conferences as a challenging arena where researchers around the world can scan the field for new ideas and promote new activities. ISTVS also publishes in cooperation with Elsevier the Journal of Terramechanics, the most authoritative scientific journal in the field, with more than thirty years of publication records. Learn more about our current activities at www.istvs.org.
Introduction - Terramechanics Around the World - Celebrating Fifty Years of ISTVS, 1962-2012
Paoluzzi Roberto
2011
Abstract
The International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems has been active in the field of terramechanics since its foundation in 1962. The roots are deeply grounded in the field of vehicle mobility and soil mechanics, both for civil and military purposes. The first years of the society saw the pioneering activity of one of the founders of terramechanics, Professor Gregory Bekker, who also played an active role in the design of rovers used for lunar exploration, using techniques and solutions that maintain their validity after more than forty years. The technology scenario has faced substantial changes in the last decades, and ISTVS has expanded its activity toward fields spanning from electronic control of machines to autonomous operation, from functional safety to environmental protection in machine operation, from sustainable agriculture to efficient energy use in construction equipment, yet maintaining its original focus on mobility and soil mechanics. The key concept in these changes is technology integration: a scenario in which different skills and competencies cooperate using solutions from different fields to find harmonized solutions for the challenges coming from an ever-changing environment, all with limited resources. The vehicle is seen as a system, where different subsystems perform functions with the common target of getting the most efficient operation for a mission profile. This rather simple paradigm, applicable to all different vehicle operation modes, conceals a tremendous complexity in design challenges, and requires a unique blend of competencies. The ISTVS main mission is to create the scientific environment where this discovery process can evolve efficiently. One of the most exciting activities launched by ISTVS in the recent years is the focus group on planetary rovers, which to a certain extent updates the studies from Professor Bekker from a new perspective, where traditional studies on mobility and soil characterization join with a novel approach to remote control, vision, autonomous operation, reliability, and maintenance. The intent is the creation of a challenging environment for the exchange of new ideas that can eventually find application in daily practice, as the successful story of lunar exploration teaches. ISTVS does not promote research activities directly at the time being; its work progresses through the findings of its members, through the promotion of the exchange of ideas, contacts, and position papers, and through international and regional conferences as a challenging arena where researchers around the world can scan the field for new ideas and promote new activities. ISTVS also publishes in cooperation with Elsevier the Journal of Terramechanics, the most authoritative scientific journal in the field, with more than thirty years of publication records. Learn more about our current activities at www.istvs.org.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
