// image — drivetrain test rig
ERC 2024 was the first time an Argo rover ran a full competition task set on real terrain. The drivetrain survived it — but not comfortably, and the notes from that week set the agenda for the redesign.
what broke
The failures were not dramatic. They were slow: wheels losing contact on loose slopes, motors drawing more current than the model predicted, and a chassis that transmitted every rock straight into the payload deck.
Design for the terrain you measured, not the terrain you modelled.
the rebuild
The new rocker-based suspension keeps all six wheels loaded across the slopes we actually saw, and the deck is isolated from the worst of the shock. Bench testing now runs against terrain profiles recorded at the competition rather than idealised ramps.
- drivetrain
- rover
- erc