Consider the swamp. And I mean swamp in the pejorative sense: this is not a wetland. The enemy swamp. One cannot walk through it because it gets deep and there are plants. One cannot boat through it because it is shallow and there are plants. One could fly over it, but it is difficult to poke anything with a long stick from a plane. A low flying dirigible though...

Flying is out. One could use a fanboat. But they are loud and you cannot hear the birds, and also they spatter mud on your linen suit.

The slug treads are like tank treads but instead of metal bits there is a gooey asphalt-like substance. This substance conforms to the substrate, allowing traction. It is hydrophobic and so does not wash away, and can be reclaimed. It allows the vehicle so equipped to roll across vegetated shallow water.

Some gooey tread might remain lodges in twigs / branches of vegetation so traversed. An onboard tank allows replenishment.

NO SMOKING
-- bungston, Apr 01 2017

Screw drive https://en.wikipedi...w-propelled_vehicle
[notexactly, Apr 01 2017]

Another option for navigating a swamp is a hovercraft. However, if you dislike the noise of a fanboat, you will probably dislike the noise of a hovercraft even more.

Your solution may have a problem in that if the tread material repels water, then how is it going to push water in the desired direction when the tread rotates?
-- Vernon, Apr 01 2017


/then how is it going to push water in the desired direction/

It repels and floats on water, and there is a large and irregular water / slug tread interface with frictional effects between them. Open water would be least good. An irregular water surface with vegetation would be best. Muddy goop / quicksand would be ok.
-- bungston, Apr 01 2017


Slipperiness aside. The problem is weight spread . Even a tank will spin if the ground doesn't support the weight.

Don't slugs use peristalsis? which like gapping one footing to the next. Again, though, if the marsh/environment can't support the weight your not going anywhere.
-- wjt, Apr 01 2017


I think I'll stick with screw drive: [link]
-- notexactly, Apr 01 2017



random, halfbakery