Compact Rear-Wheel Drive Robot Platform

The rear-wheel drive robot chassis uses the rear wheels to provide propulsion, while the front wheels are responsible for support and steering. The power system is concentrated on the rear axle, and the motor torque is transmitted to the rear wheels through a transmission mechanism to achieve forward, backward, and speed control. The front wheels are equipped with an independent steering mechanism (Ackermann steering) to perform directional control functions.

The compact drive robot platform features rear-wheel independent drive with a front-wheel Ackermann steering architecture: Dual motors on the rear axle provide propulsion, while the front wheels achieve independent deflection through the Ackermann steering mechanism, strictly adhering to Ackermann geometry principles. This ensures pure rolling without slippage during turns, eliminates lateral sliding friction caused by differential drive, enhances stability and trajectory accuracy at medium to high speeds, and reduces tire wear and energy consumption. It is particularly suitable for tasks requiring navigation in complex outdoor environments, such as industrial parks, logistics, agriculture, and airports, where it handles heavy-duty transportation and precise path-following tasks, achieving centimeter-level trajectory accuracy.

Parameter Table

Ackermann steering:  

Ackermann steering is a classic steering geometry design that uses a unique linkage structure to ensure that the inner wheels turn at a greater angle than the outer wheels during turns. This effectively eliminates tire slippage during turns, thereby providing the 2 wheel robot chassis with higher driving stability, reduced tire wear, and enhanced control stability. Therefore, it is highly suitable for robots requiring medium to high-speed operation, heavy-load carrying, or outdoor inspection tasks.

Rear-Wheel Drive:

A rear-wheel drive robot chassis is a common robot mobility platform design where the drive wheels are located at the rear of the chassis, while the front typically features follow-up wheels (such as omnidirectional wheels) or other non-drive wheels. It features a simple structure, high steering efficiency, strong load-bearing capacity, and stable control. By separating the power system and steering system, the mechanical structure of the chassis is simplified, reducing manufacturing costs and maintenance complexity. Additionally, this design increases rear-wheel traction during acceleration, providing better tracking performance, making it particularly suitable for scenarios requiring medium to high-speed operation. Furthermore, the rear-wheel drive structure can withstand greater loads, making it suitable for robot platform applications such as logistics transportation and outdoor inspections that demand high stability and load-bearing capacity.

Superior traction: Rear-wheel drive provides better grip on uneven or slippery terrain because the robot's weight is concentrated on the drive wheels, enhancing traction. Research shows that even if one tire slips, traction is not completely lost. Particularly suitable for complex outdoor terrain (such as mud, gravel roads, rain, and snow), such as autonomous delivery, agricultural robots, or patrol robots.

High stability: Ackermann steering ensures the robot does not experience tire side slip when turning, improving stability and precision during movement, especially at high speeds or on complex terrain, such as logistics autonomous delivery vehicles.

Steering precision: Ackermann steering geometry allows the inner wheel to turn at a greater angle than the outer wheel, reducing tire wear and slippage, and improving path tracking precision, suitable for tasks requiring precise navigation.

High load capacity: This design supports heavier loads, with a capacity of 800 kg, making it suitable for applications requiring heavy-duty load-bearing, such as logistics, patrols, or research.

Fault tolerance: Independent rear-wheel drive ensures that even if one drive unit fails, traction is not completely lost, making it suitable for tasks requiring prolonged operation, such as agricultural robots or outdoor patrol robots.

The rear-wheel drive robot platform combines the traction of rear-wheel drive with the steering efficiency of Ackermann steering, making it suitable for a variety of environments, including education, outdoor navigation, agriculture, industrial logistics, security patrols, and scientific research.

Agricultural environment: Rear wheel drive robot platform is primarily used in agriculture for tasks such as soil/crop data collection, spraying, and fertilization, especially in complex farmland environments.

Industrial logistics environment: In industrial logistics, compact wheel drive robot platform is primarily used for material handling and inventory management in warehouses, factories, or outdoor delivery services, such as logistics unmanned delivery vehicles and retail mobile kiosks.

Outdoor autonomous navigation environment: In outdoor open spaces, rear wheel drive robot chassis is suitable for autonomous mobile robots, such as outdoor patrol, monitoring, or delivery services, which require adaptation to uneven terrain.

Security and patrol environment: In buildings, campuses, or industrial sites, rear wheel drive robot platform is used for security patrol and monitoring, requiring stable navigation in structured environments.