Microrovers Catalog

Small in size, but not in capabilities, microrovers may one day play a larger role in exploring other worlds. In partnership with Cornell University, and funded in part by NASA, the Planetary Society is investigating the future role of microrovers in solar system exploration.
We've compiled a catalog of known microrovers that have already been built or designed, ranging in use from military applications to planetary exploration. However, only one rover that has actually visited another world - Sojourner (part of the 1997 Mars Pathfinder mission) - is small enough to be considered a microrover.

Microrovers can help clear bombs, reconnoiter dangerous territory, inspect pipes, or examine rocks on an alien planet. This catalog will serve as a single public location to showcase microrover technology in all its variety, a starting point to see what work has been done before embarking on new design projects.

When is a rover considered "micro"? While there is no precise definition for the size of a microrover, for the purpose of this catalog, the Planetary Society defines them as rovers with a mass of approximately 1 to 12 kilograms. To put it another way, they range is size from MUSES-CN (1 kg) to Sojourner (11.5 kg). However, this list also includes rovers up to 100 kg, both as a basis of comparison and because those larger rovers may still help inspire the design of new planetary microrovers.

Rover Name	Origin	Mass	Use	Locomotion
Microrovers Catalog
2WD Differential Robot	Portugal	10	Education and Research	Tread
3WD Holonomic Robot	Portugal	15	Education and Research	Tread
Advanced Whiskers	USA	10.89	Education and Research	2-wheel
Anatroller ARE-100	USA		Platform	4-wheel or Tread
Anatroller ARI-100	USA	6	Commercial	Tread
ARES	USA		Defense	4-wheel
ART 1	USA	18.14	Defense	Tread
Asendro Scout	Germany	45	Defense	Tread with Flippers
Aurora	USA	9	Defense	Monotread
Axel	USA		Space Exploration	2-wheel
Beagle	Australia		Defense and HAZMAT	Tread
BomBot	USA		Defense	4-wheel
Cameleon EOD	France	25	Defense	Tread with Flippers
Chaos	USA	54.43	Platform	Tread
CITV-1	France	2.5	Defense	4-wheel or Tread
CLOME-1	France	25	Commercial	4-wheel
CMAG-1	France	1.8	Commercial	4-wheel or Tread
Cobra MK2	France	5.6	Defense	4-wheel
Create	USA		Platform
Cyclops Mk4D	UK	34	Defense	4-wheel or Tread
Dragon Runner	USA		Defense	4-wheel or Tread
E-puck	Switzerland	0.15	Education and Research	2-wheel
Element	USA	18.14	Platform	Tread
ExplorBot	USA			4-wheel or 6-wheel
EyeDrive	Israel	2.7	Defense	4-wheel
Ferret	Australia		Defense	Tread
Foxbot	Germany		Defense	6-wheel
G2Bot	USA	11.34	Defense	Tread
GAIA-2	Canada	40	Education and Research	4-wheel
Hannibal and Attila	USA		Space Exploration
Inbot	France	2.1	Defense	4-wheel
Inspection Robot	Denmark	3	Commercial	4-wheel
Intruder	USA	15.87	Defense	4-wheel
Koala	Canada	4	Education and Research	6-wheel
LABO-3	Canada	25	Education and Research	2-wheel
Lector	USA	3.6	Defense	4-wheel
Lynchbot	USA	13	Defense
M2P2	USA	18.14	Defense	4-wheel
MARCbot	USA	11.3	Defense	4-wheel
Matilda II	USA	27.67	Platform	Tread
MG-400	Germany	30	Commercial	2-wheel
Microinspector	Denmark	1.5	Commercial	4-wheel
Microtracs	Canada	6 (Aluminum), 12 (Brass), 12 (Stainless Steel)	Commercial	Tread
Mini-Badger	USA		Commercial	6-wheel
MK1 – Caliber Scout	Canada	64	Defense	6-wheel
MP-S500	Germany		Platform	2-wheel
MURV – 100	USA	14	Defense	10-wheel
MUSES-CN	USA	1.3	Space Exploration	4-wheel
Nanokhod	European Union	1.45	Space Exploration	Tread
Negotiator	USA	15.4	Defense	Tread with Flippers
OTO TRP 1B	Italy		Defense	Tread with Adaptable Structure
OTO TRP2	Italy	60	Defense	Tread
OTO TRP3 FROG	Italy	5.5	Defense	4-wheel
OTO TRP7	Italy		Defense	Tread
Packbot	USA	18.6	Defense	Tread with Flippers
Pandora	USA	27.22	Defense	Tread or Wheel
Pebbles Mars Rover	USA		Space Exploration	Tread
PIONEER P3-DX	USA	9	Education and Research	4-wheel
Piper the Robot	USA	10	Commercial	4-wheel
Pointman	USA	8.16	Defense	4-wheel
PRM	France	26	Defense	Tread
Radcam 35	USA	7.26	Commercial	4-wheel
Ranger	USA	24.95	Defense	Tread
Raposa	Portugal	27	Commercial	Tread
RATLER	USA		Space Exploration and Defense	4-wheel
Recon Scout	USA	0.544	Defense	2-wheel
Recon Scout XT	USA	0.524	Defense	2-wheel
RMP 200 ATV	USA	71	Platform	2-wheel
Robohaz 6-Wheel	Korea	40	Defense, Education and Research	6-wheel
Robohaz DT3	Korea	39	Defense, Education and Research	Tread
Robohaz Rescue	Korea	45	Defense, Education and Research	Tread
Robomow	Israel	22.68	Commercial	2-wheel
Robson	France			4-wheel
Robulab 10	France	20	Platform	3-wheel
Rocky7	USA	11.5	Space Exploration	6-wheel
ROID 102	UK	15	Commercial	Tread
Scorpion	USA	18.14	Platform	Tread
Scout	Poland	13	Defense	Tread and 4-Wheel (Wheels can be removed
SECT II	Canada	5.4	Education and Research	8-wheel
Sentry	Australia		Defense	Tread
Shrimp III	Switzerland	5.4	Platform	6-wheel
SmartTrakk	USA	49.8	Terrestrial Exploration	Tread
SMC Rover	Japan		Space Exploration	Modular wheel system
Sojourner	USA	11.5	Space Exploration	6-wheel
Souryu II	Japan		Defense	Tread
Spector	USA	7.94	Defense	Wheel
SPIDAR	USA	12.25	Defense	6-wheel
Spiker	Australia		Defense	Tread or Wheels
SRR	USA		Space Exploration	4-wheel
SUGV 300 Series	USA	11.3	Defense	Tread with Flippers
SUSS	USA	3.175	Defense	4-wheel
TALON (Multiple Configurations)	USA	52	Defense	Tracked
Titan	USA		Commercial	4-wheel
Titan-IX	Japan		Defense	Walking (4 legs)
Tri-star II	Japan		Space Exploration	3-wheel
u-Trooper	USA	6	Platform	6-wheel
URBOT	USA	29	Defense	Tread
Vanguard	European Union	26	Space Exploration	Tread
Vanguard ROV	Canada	56	Defense	Tread
Versatrax 100	Canada	9	Commercial	Tread
VGTV	Canada	6.2	Commercial	Tread with Adaptable Structure
VIPeR	Israel	11.3	Defense	Tread
Whiskers	USA		Education and Research	2-wheel
Wifibot 4G	USA	4.5	Education and Research	4-wheel
Wifibot-SC	USA	4.5	Education and Research	4-wheel
X-Bot	USA	10	Defense	4-wheel
X-MUTS	Australia		Defense	4-wheel