Rocker-bogie suspension system

Rocker-bogie suspension system
Rocker-bogie suspension system Opportunity and twin Spirit have roved around Mars on a rocker-bogie suspension system invented by JPL’s Don Bikler. MER mobility engineers Christopher Voorhees and Brian Harrington test Opportunity’s suspension and wheel capability on staggered ramps in JPL’s Spacecraft Assembly Facility during development (left). The bogie rotates freely around the attachment point to the rocker, so that both wheels will always try to settle on the ground. The point where the rocker is attached to the body also has a link through the rover to the other side’s rocker so that they move exactly opposite each other, so if the left front wheel goes up, then the right front wheel is forced down by the same amount. NASA / JPL-Caltech