Home▸Space & Astronomy▸Mars Regolith Wheel Sinkage & Slope Stability (2D)

Mars Regolith Wheel Sinkage & Slope Stability (2D)

Bekker-model rover-wheel sinkage lab: pressure-sinkage terramechanics, traction vs motion-resistance, and an infinite-slope stability check, with adjustable rover mass, wheel geometry, regolith cohesion/friction angle and Mars vs Earth gravity.

Space & Astronomy2DModerate60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 3D version
2d-mars-regolith ↗ Open standalone

This 2D companion turns the 3D Mars Regolith scene into a working terramechanics instrument: the Bekker pressure-sinkage model p = (kc/b + kphi)·z^n drives a real wheel-sinkage calculation for a rover wheel under load, a traction/motion-resistance balance shows whether the wheel can actually pull the rover forward or would just spin in place, and an infinite-slope stability check compares a chosen slope angle against the regolith's friction angle and cohesion. Rover mass, wheel width and diameter, regolith cohesion, friction angle, bulk density, slope angle and Mars-vs-Earth gravity are all live sliders, so you can see, for example, how much less a wheel sinks on Mars than the same rover would on Earth.

⚙ Under the hood

Bekker-model rover-wheel sinkage lab with pressure-sinkage terramechanics, a traction vs motion-resistance balance, and an infinite-slope stability check driven by adjustable rover mass, wheel geometry, regolith cohesion/friction angle and Mars vs Earth gravity.

bekker modelterramechanicswheel sinkagebearing capacityslope stabilityangle of repose

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install

What did you find?

Add reproduction steps (optional)