| CPC B60F 3/0023 (2013.01) | 36 Claims |

|
1. An all-terrain rover, comprising:
a. a frame;
b. first and second cylinder systems, each cylinder system being arranged on opposing sides of the frame, each of the first and second cylinder systems comprising:
i. a first cylinder and a second cylinder arranged co-axially with one another, each cylinder having a spiral auger flange arranged on an exterior surface thereof; and
c. sampling or measurement equipment mounted onto the rover; and
d. a control system comprising one or more sensors associated with each of said cylinders for reading cylinder operational and status data; and a microcontroller, processor or computer for receiving said cylinder operational and status data and for processing said cylinder data to determine any one or more of a change in terrain medium or spinning of the cylinders to indicate that the rover is stuck;
the microcontroller is configured to apply a first speed to the first cylinders of the first and second cylinder systems; and further configured to apply a second speed to the second cylinders of the first and second cylinder systems;
wherein an orientation of the spiral flanges of the first and second cylinder systems and different speeds applied by the microcontroller to each of the first and second cylinders of the first and second cylinder systems allow for forward and backwards motion, turning and sideways motion of the all-terrain rover.
|