Abstract: Based on a study of the passive articulated rover, a complete suspension kinematics model from wheel to inertial reference frame is presented, which uses the D-H kinematics model method of manipulator and presentation with Euler angle of pitch, roll, and yaw. By means of this complete suspension kinematics model and Newton’s numerical continuous and discrete method with iterative factors, the numerical solution of kinematic observer estimation of articulated rovers on smooth rough and discrete terrain is constructed. To demonstrate the validity of this numerical solution, an example about a two torsionbar rockerbogie lunar rover with eight wheels is presented. Simulation results show that this numerical solving method of kinematic observer estimation of articulated rovers on rough terrain is valid and its precision can satisfy the requirements of simulation systems.

Key words: kinematic observer estimation, suspension kinematics, lunar rover, numerical methods, passive-articulated