Members of the Mississippi State University ISTVS Student Chapter recently visited the U.S. Army ERDC Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory Mobility Systems Branch to learn about military ground mobility, terramechanics testing, and emerging modeling and simulation technologies. The visit provided students with hands-on exposure to historical and modern mobility research, including VCI testing methodologies, autonomous navigation simulation tools, and military vehicle testing platforms, while strengthening collaboration between academia and government research laboratories.

The 56th ISTVS Conference will take place from 11–15 October 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa, bringing together the international terramechanics and off-road mobility community. The conference will feature technical presentations, workshops, a Gerotek technical tour, networking events, and the inaugural ISTVS Student Wheel Design Competition. Early Bird registration, conference schedules, accepted abstracts, and additional details are now available on the conference website.

ISTVS continues to engage with major international developments in space robotics and lunar mobility research. Recent activities involving the InnoHK Hong Kong Space Robotics & Energy Centre, the Chang’e 8 lunar mission, and ESA’s 2026 Space Resources Week highlight the growing importance of terramechanics, geotechnics, and terrain interaction science in future lunar exploration and resource utilization. These efforts further reinforce ISTVS’s longstanding contributions to planetary mobility and extraterrestrial surface systems research.

Two ISTVS Small Research Grants have been awarded to advance collaborative work in terrain characterization and terramechanics innovation. The funded projects will establish a new ISTVS Working Group on Terrain Characterization and explore the integration of terramechanics with interactive simulation and gaming approaches. These efforts aim to strengthen community collaboration and improve tools, methods, and understanding in off-road mobility science, with updates to be presented at the 56th ISTVS Conference.

The ISTVS community mourns the passing of Iwan Wästerlund, former ISTVS President and a leading voice in forestry vehicle research and environmentally sustainable off-road mobility. His leadership, scholarship, and enduring sense of humor left a lasting mark on terramechanics and forest engineering worldwide.

ISTVS congratulates Sally Shoop on receiving the 2026 ASCE Can-Am Amity Award, recognizing her outstanding contributions to cold-regions engineering, vehicle mobility research, and international collaboration.

We are saddened to share the passing of Dr. Daniel R.P. Hettiaratchi, an early member of ISTVS and founding Assistant Editor of the Journal of Terramechanics.
A remembrance written by Jo Yung Wong reflects on his scientific contributions, academic career, and lasting impact on the terramechanics community.

ISTVS invites proposals for its Small Research Grants Program supporting collaborative research that advances terrain–vehicle interaction and off-road mobility science. The call encourages community-driven efforts focused on terrain characterization, vehicle performance, and practical applications across diverse operating environments. Proposal deadline: December 31.

Highlights and key moments from the 55th International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems (ISTVS 2025) Conference in Lebanon, New Hampshire — celebrating innovation, collaboration, and the future of mobility on all terrains.

The International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems (ISTVS) proudly recognizes Prof. Corina Sandu as a newly elected ISTVS Fellow for her outstanding contributions to terramechanics, off-road vehicle dynamics, and long-standing service to the society. Prof. Sandu’s pioneering research, leadership in education, and decades of dedicated involvement have advanced the global understanding of vehicle–terrain interaction and inspired a new generation of engineers in the field.

The ISTVS Board of Directors (BOD) invites researchers to apply for funding to support research & development activities where members will make a contribution in areas important to the domain of terrain-vehicle systems and terramechanics. Funding provided under the Small Research Grants program of ISTVS is not meant to cover the complete cost of a research project, but to be complementary to already existing funding of the proposers. The awarded funding under the program should be used to facilitate collaboration between multiple institutions such that real, tangible progress can be made on the chosen topic for the benefit of ISTVS.