Vitaly Vasiliev (right) presenting an all-terrain vehicle at the TransportFest exhibition
An innovative development from SPbGASU was presented at the VII International TransportFest Festival, which took place in St Petersburg from 21 to 23 May. The festival is one of the largest industry events, bringing together transportation specialists, equipment manufacturers, and developers. Our university presented an electric tracked all-terrain vehicle there.
The all-terrain vehicle was developed by the university graduates Oleg Nikiforov and Vitaly Vasiliev. The project manager is Associate Professor at the Department of Transport Maintenance, PhD of Engineering Sciences Sergey Vorobyov.
According to the developers, the idea for the project arose amid growing interest in electric vehicles and the prospects for integrating electric powertrains into specialized equipment. While the base version of the vehicle previously ran on a gasoline engine, the team decided to create an all-electric one.
"The idea was Sergey Aleksandrovich's. We thought, 'Why not make an electric version?' Moreover, the chassis manufacturer is also interested in developing similar solutions," the authors explain.
Work on the all-terrain vehicle took about six months. The graduates completed most of the development and assembly themselves, in their free time. From the creation of the 3D model to the implementation of the electrical system, the project went through a full engineering development cycle.
At the same time, other specialists were also involved in the creation of the vehicle: welders, laser cutting specialists, and employees responsible for certain metalworking tasks provided assistance.
The festival demonstrated a prototype. After final refinement, the team plans to conduct full-scale testing of the all-terrain vehicle this summer.
The developers note that equipment manufacturers have already shown interest in their project.
This electric tracked all-terrain vehicle is designed for operation in challenging road conditions and can navigate water obstacles. The vehicle features joystick control and a proprietary modular battery system.
Some specifications of the project:
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curb weight – 630 kg;
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load capacity – 500 kg;
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traction force – 950 kg;
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ground clearance – 330 mm;
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maximum speed – up to 15 km/h;
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operating temperature range: from –30 to +30°C.
The developers placed special emphasis on the project's practical significance for university students. "This is being done for the benefit of future generations of students: so that they can see how engineering ideas transform from theory to practice," they note.