A practical engineering reference for designing unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) that operate in snow and cold environments. Covers snow mechanics and its effects on traction and mobility, ground pressure tradeoffs between wheeled and tracked vehicles, battery performance degradation across chemistries (lead-acid, NiCd, NiMH, Li-ion), cold-weather electronics failure modes (solder brittleness, wire insulation cracking, MOSFET behavior), lubrication issues, sensor degradation from fog and blowing snow, LIDAR interference, and navigation challenges. Practical mitigations include insulated battery cases, engine block heaters, exhaust diffusers, polycarbonate track assemblies, and camera heaters or covers. References multiple US Army Cold Regions Research studies and terramechanics models.
