Blue Rover
The first ‘3-Segment’ Rover. Each segment of the Rover was linked via a universal umbilical which allowed each segment to remain in contact with the ground while traveling over rough terrain. The Blue Rover had twin cameras which enabled its operators to see a live stereoscopic view of the Rovers surrounding environment.

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Robbie
A larger version of the Blue Rovers' 3-Segment design with the inclusion of a grabbing arm for collecting scientific samples.

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Pantograph Suspension
The precursor to ‘rocker-bogie’ suspension used on all Mircorovers.

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Rocky 1
The Rocky Microrovers were built to prove the ability of a small rover to navigate rough terrain and to explore an unknown environment. Rocky 1 was the first to employ the rocker-bogie suspension system developed by Don Bickler (and patented by JPL), which allows it to safely navigate steps and obstacles twice the height of its wheels.

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8-Wheeler

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LSR - Lightweight Serviceable Rover

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Rocky 3
Rocky 3 improved on Rocky 1's mobility system and also contained a robotic arm and sensors. It could navigate autonomously to an interesting location, moving around obstacles in its way, and then scoop up a soil sample. It could then return to its "Lander" by using an infrared beacon as a homing device.

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Rocky 4
Rocky 4 was a flight prototype version of Rocky 3: its chassis was made light and strong enough to withstand launch and landing. In addition to the sensors carried by Rocky 3, Rocky 4 carried a seismometer and a "rock chipper" that it could use to remove the weathered rind from a rock, exposing a fresh rock surface to the rover's other instruments. A June 1992 test of Rocky 4 proved the concept of an integrated Microrover system, paving the way for a rover to be included on the Pathfinder mission.

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Rocky 3.2
Development of Rocky 3’s mobility, and control systems. It shares many common elements developed for the Rocky 4 flight prototype Rover.

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Rocky 7
Beyond the 1997 Microrover Flight Experiment on the Pathfinder Mission to Mars , NASA/JPL continued to develop small robotic rovers for planetary surface exploration. Rocky 7 was designed to expand the current science enabling capabilities of Microrovers, while increasing their range of operation. This work includes exploration of new or improved methods of mobility, manipulation, sensing, computation, and control.

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FIDO
The Field Integrated Design and Operations (FIDO) Rover is JPL's advanced technology prototype Rover designed to support the NASA/JPL Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Project. In particular, the FIDO rover conducts mission relevant field trials that simulate mission operations scenarios and validate rover technology in the areas of rover navigation and control, instrument placement, remote sensing, scientific data collection, intelligent behaviors, telemetry processing, data visualization, and mission operations tools.

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Rocky 8
A new and improved version of Rocky 7

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Rocky 4.2 (MFEX)
The Microrover Flight Experiment--later named Sojourner--eventually resulted in the first successful test of a rover on Mars. Based on the Rocky 4 Microrover, the MFEX design incorporated as many "off the shelf" parts as possible to keep costs down.

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Sojourner
The MFEX Rover is based on the Rocker-Bogie suspension system developed at JPL in the late 1980's. This six wheeled platform is the key to the fantastic mobility achieved by the Rover.The Sojourner rover was successfully deployed onto Mars from the Pathfinder Lander on July 5, 1997.

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Athena SDM
The Mars Exploration Rovers carry what is called an Athena Payload: Scientific Payload containing instruments and tools for measuring geographic samples and searching for signs of water and life on Mars. The Athena Payload, along with the FIDO Rover are designed to support the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project by allowing scientists and engineers to test scientific tool and instruments on Earth, prior to the MER’s arriving on Mars.

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MER - Mars Exploration Rover
The Mars Exploration Rovers, will launch toward Mars in 2003 in search of answers about the history of water on Mars. The Design of the Mars Exploration Rovers builds upon the Sojourner Rover design with improvements in mobility, control and functionality.

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GoFor
Concept Rover

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Nano Rover
The Nanorover was selected as a technology experiment on what would be the world's first asteroid sample return mission, MUSES-C. Only 20 cm long and weighing less than 100 grams, the Nanorover would be able to move about the surface of an asteroid with almost negligible gravity. Unfortunately, the rover portion of the MUSES-C mission was canceled.

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SRR - Sample Return Rover
The Sample Return Rover (SRR) is a small autonomous four-wheel Rover that employs 4-wheel independent drive and steering. A parallel linkage on the suspension enables simultaneous operation of articulated shoulder, passive rocker and steering. It is capable of speeds up to 10cm/sec. The rover is equipped with a "micro-arm’’ consisting of 3 degrees-of-freedom with an actuated gripping end-effector. A forward-looking stereo camera pair (120-degree FOV) is used for obstacle detection. In addition, there is a manipulator-mounted goal camera (20-degree FOV) and manipulator-mounted stereo color pair (45-degree FOV).

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Inflatable Rover
The JPL Inflatable Rover Program is focused on two types of inflatable vehicles for transport of instrument payloads on distant planets and moons. One, referred to as "Big Wheels," is a lightweight, motor-controlled vehicle with large balloon tires, and the other is a large, wind-blown sphere, referred to as "Tumbleweed." Inflatable Rovers would be used for robotic outpost development (transporting other rovers to distant sites); transportation of astronauts; and long-distance transfer of heavy equipment or in situ resources, such as water ice from the Martian North Pole.

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