Terramechanics (machine-soil interactions)

Terramechanics is the study of how machines (vehicles, tools, robots) interact with soil and other terrain. Our key motivating application is planetary/Lunar rovers, but we also conduct investigations with broader applicability to off-road driving as well as excavation. Our research involves significant experimentation, and we develop and refine experimental techniques including visual soil tracking and single-wheel testing.

Daca A*, Forough Nassiraei A, Skonieczny K. (2022). Comparison of wheel load application methods in single-wheel testbeds. Journal of Terramechanics. 99: 35-55.

Kovacs L, Ghotbi B, Gonzalez F, Niksirat P*, Skonieczny K, Kovecses J. (2020). Effect of gravity in wheel/terrain interaction models. Journal of Field Robotics. 37(5): 754-767.

Skonieczny K, Moreland S, Asnani V, Creager C, Inotsume H, Wettergreen D. (2014). Visualizing and analyzing machine-soil interactions using computer vision. Journal of Field Robotics. 31(5): 820-836.

Demishkevich A*, Skonieczny K (2024). Estimating Rover Slope Climbing Ability from Single Wheel Experiments. International Conference on Space Robotics (iSpaRo). Luxembourg, Luxembourg.

Robotics for space Rover Design
Concordia University's Aerospace Robotics Lab
Concordia University's Aerospace Robotics Lab

Research interests include: Space robotics, Planetary rovers, Robot mobility, Vehicle-terrain interactions, Advanced 3D printing techniques, Robotics excavation & construction, Reduced gravity experimentation, Computer vision and machine learning for robotics applications.