Supplementary data and modeling code file for: Soft deployable airless wheel for lunar lava tube in-tact exploration
Data files
Dec 02, 2025 version files 91.05 MB
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Data_files_S1.zip
7.57 MB
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Data_files_S2.zip
1.60 MB
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Data_files_S3.zip
16.09 MB
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Data_files_S4.zip
16.69 MB
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Data_files_S5.zip
17.38 MB
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Data_files_S6.zip
19.50 MB
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Data_files_S7.zip
985.59 KB
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Data_files_S8.zip
9.33 MB
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Data_files_S9.zip
1.87 MB
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Modeling_code_S1.zip
6.76 KB
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README.md
4.74 KB
Abstract
Lunar pits and lava tubes hold promise for future human habitation, offering natural protection and stable environments. However, exploring these sites entails challenging terrain, including steep slopes along cave funnels and vertical cliffs. Here, we present a soft, deployable airless wheel to address these challenges. By achieving a high deployment ratio, multiple rovers can be stowed efficiently without sacrificing mobility, thereby improving mission reliability and flexibility. The proposed wheel incorporates a reconfigurable reciprocal structure of elastic steel strips arranged in a woven helical pattern, enabling shape transformations while preserving load-bearing capacity. This reciprocal arrangement also allows for safe vertical descents and mitigates damage from accidental falls within caves. By distributing strain throughout the wheel’s body, reliance on delicate mechanical components is minimized—a critical advantage under extreme lunar conditions. The wheel can be stowed at a diameter of 230 millimeters and deployed to 500 millimeters. Experimental results show successful traversal of 200 millimeters obstacles, stable mobility on rocky and lunar soil simulant surfaces, and resilience to drop impacts simulating a 100 meters descent under lunar gravity. These findings underscore the wheel’s suitability for future pit and cave exploration, even in harsh lunar environments.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.tdz08kqb4
Description of the data and file structure
This dataset contains all primary experimental raw data and modeling code for the study “Soft Deployable Airless Wheel for Lunar Lava Tube In-tact Exploration.” The data were collected to (1) develop and theoretically analyze the proposed soft deployable wheel using a cantilever beam model (Fig. 3A), and based on that analysis, to experimentally validate (2) deployment/storage torque characteristics (Fig. 3B) and (3) vertical load–displacement responses (Fig. 3C). We further (4) evaluate changes in storage torque and vertical stiffness before and after thermal-vacuum and drop-impact tests (Figs. 6E and 6F), and (5) measure drawbar pull force–slip and wheel driving torque–slip ratio in a simulated lunar-regolith (Fig. 7), thereby verifying the proposed wheel’s capability for lunar exploration and lava-tube entry missions. In addition, experiment results for Supplementary Figures S3B and S3C are included to validate Equation 4.
Files and variables
File: Modeling_code_S1.zip
Description:
Purpose: A cantilever-beam model that computes the wheel’s shape and bending energy during the deployment-to-storage transition.
Inputs:
(Strip_Optimizer.m) : obj.rh (m), obj.Rc (m), obj.n, obj.thL (rad), obj.Lg_0 (m), obj.Tg (m), obj.b (m), obj.t (m), obj.E (Pa)
(run_code.m) : l0 (m), l_end (m), dl (m), lamda_d, lamda0, lamda_end
Outputs:
Figure 2.1 (strip shape), Figure2.2(Strip bending energy (N mm) - rotation angle of hub (deg) plot)
Deployment to Storage process Overall Data: Result_all (1000 x 6 matrix)
[strip length (mm), wheel radius (mm), maximum curvature of strip (rad/m), Spoke bending energy(N mm), Strip bending energy(N mm), Ratation angle of hub (deg)]
Deployment to Storage process Strip Configuration Data: lxydth_mat (1000 x (5 x K) matrix)
[l(mm), x(m), y(m), dth(rad), R(mm)]
File: Data_files_S1.zip
Description:
Purpose: Source data for Fig.3B
Torque sensor angle file: time(YYYY-MM-DD Thh:mm:ss.sss) to rotation angle (deg)
Torque sensor Torque file: time(YYYY-MM-DD Thh:mm:ss.sss) to Torque voltage(V) and Torque (Nm)
File: Data_files_S2.zip
Description:
Purpose: Source data for Fig.3C
Test count, Time (sec), Elongation(=Deflection) (mm) to Load force (N)
File: Data_files_S3.zip
Description:
Purpose: Source data for Fig.6E-Before Test
Torque sensor angle file: time(YYYY-MM-DD Thh:mm:ss.sss) to rotation angle (deg)
Torque sensor Torque file: time(YYYY-MM-DD Thh:mm:ss.sss) to Torque voltage(V) and Torque (Nm)
File: Data_files_S4.zip
Description:
Purpose: Source data for Fig.6E-After Test A
Torque sensor angle file: time(YYYY-MM-DD Thh:mm:ss.sss) to rotation angle (deg)
Torque sensor Torque file: time(YYYY-MM-DD Thh:mm:ss.sss) to Torque voltage(V) and Torque (Nm)
File: Data_files_S5.zip
Description:
Purpose: Source data for Fig.6E-After Test A+B
Torque sensor angle file: time(YYYY-MM-DD Thh:mm:ss.sss) to rotation angle (deg)
Torque sensor Torque file: time(YYYY-MM-DD Thh:mm:ss.sss) to Torque voltage(V) and Torque (Nm)
File: Data_files_S6.zip
Description:
Purpose: Source data for Fig.6F
Test count, Time (sec), Elongation(=Deflection) (mm) to Load force (N)
File: Data_files_S7.zip
Description:
Purpose: Source data for Fig.7
Fig.7C : Time(Thh:mm:ss.sss), rotation angle of winch (deg), angular velocity of winch (rev/min), Torque of winch (mNm)
Fig.7D: Time(Thh:mm:ss.sss), rotation angle of wheel (deg), angular velocity of wheel (rev/min), Torque of wheel (mNm)
File: Data_files_S8.zip
Description:
Purpose: Source data for Fig.S3B
Torque sensor angle file: time(YYYY-MM-DD Thh:mm:ss.sss) to rotation angle (deg)
Torque sensor Torque file: time(YYYY-MM-DD Thh:mm:ss.sss) to Torque voltage(V) and Torque (Nm)
File: Data_files_S9.zip
Description:
Purpose: Source data for Fig.S3C
Test count, Time (sec), Elongation(=Deflection) (mm) to Load force (N)
Code/software
Running the model: MATLAB (R2024a) was used for Modeling Code S1.
Viewing the data: The data files are provided as Excel (.xlsx or .csv) format and have been compressed into a .zip file.
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data:
- This dataset is available exclusively via Dryad.
Data was derived from the following sources:
- All data and code were generated by the authors through original experiments and modeling.