Sawppy the Rover
A motorized model of the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, built with aluminum extrusions and 3D-printed plastic parts.
Project documentation
Before you build
Five answers, each linked to its source
What does it cost?
$500project budget
The README states that the budget was $500. README
Can I sell what I build?
YesCommercial use OK
Hardware MIT · Software MIT. Licensing source
What’s open?
4 of 6CAD: AvailableBOM: AvailablePCB: Not documentedCode: AvailableSim: Not documentedGuide: Available
PCB, sim not documented. All six files
What does it run on?
Simulation: Not documented. Software
Is it maintained?
Not documented
No activity snapshot yet. Activity
01 / Under the shell
The specifications.
Hardware, build and software on one sheet. Every fact links to where we found it.
Sawppy is a motorized model of the Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rovers. It uses the Rocker-Bogie suspension kinematics and is built from aluminum extrusions connected by 3D-printed plastic parts. The project describes it as a hardware platform for autonomous-operation software projects.
Hardware
- Actuators
- 10 · LX-16A servos Parts List.md
- Build
- Mixed · 3D-printed plastic · Misumi HFS3 aluminum extrusions Documentation
- Rover model
- Mars rovers Curiosity and Perseverance README
- Suspension
- Rocker-Bogie suspension kinematics README
- Filament
- About 3 kg to print all the parts Parts List.md
Building it
- Frame construction
- Misumi HFS3 aluminum extrusions connected by 3D-printed plastic parts README
02 / The files behind the robot
What’s open.
Six parts of the build, each checked separately. Gaps stay visible.
| Part | Status | What’s there | License | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAD | Available | Public Onshape CAD document. | Not documented | cad.onshape.com |
| Bill of materials | Available | Parts list documents printed parts, hardware, and aluminum extrusion beams. | Not documented | Parts List.md |
| Electronics | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | No source found |
| Code | Available | Arduino control software is listed as an option. | Not documented | arduino_sawppy/ |
| Simulation model | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | No source found |
| Assembly guide | Available | Build instructions are in the docs subdirectory. | Not documented | docs/ |
03 / Know before you build
Can you sell it?
YesCommercial use OK
The whole repository, design files included, is MIT. You can build, modify and sell robots based on it, as long as you keep the license and copyright notices.
- Hardware
- MIT
- Software
- MIT
04 / The upstream project
Is it maintained?
Not documentedRepository activity is not documented
Active: activity within 90 days of the snapshot. Quiet: within a year. Dormant: longer.
05 / Parts & kits
A head start.
Maker-listed sellers only. No affiliate links or paid placement.
Kit availability is not documented in our reviewed sources.
06 / Side by side
Compare with other rovers.
Closest documented maker’s cost first, then the most recently active rovers. Same sources, same rules.
| Robot | Cost | Open files | Can I sell it? | Runs on | Maintained | Stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sawppy the RoverThis robotRoger-random | $500project budget | 4 of 6 | YesHW MIT · SW MIT | ArduinoROS 1ROS 2 | Not documented | — |
| JPL Open Source RoverNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory | About $1,600full build | 6 of 6 | YesHW Apache-2.0 · SW Apache-2.0 | ROS 2GazeboRaspberry Pi | ActiveOct 20, 2026 | 9,723 |
| Autonomous Zero-Turn Retrofit KitZoheb Alvi | About $1,644functional build | 5 of 6 | YesHW MIT · SW not documented | ArduinoESP32Raspberry Pi | Not documented | — |
| ArlokSettorezero | Not documented | 4 of 6 | Check firstHW not documented · SW not documented | Arduino | ActiveOct 26, 2026 | 24 |
| This robotSawppy the Rover | JPL Open Source Rover | Autonomous Zero-Turn Retrofit Kit |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ||
| $500 | About $1,600 | About $1,644 |
| Can I sell it? | ||
| Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open files | ||
| 4 of 6 | 6 of 6 | 5 of 6 |
| Runs on | ||
| Arduino, ROS 1, ROS 2, Raspberry Pi | ROS 2, Gazebo, Raspberry Pi | Arduino, ESP32, Raspberry Pi, Python |
| Maintained | ||
| Not documented | ActiveOct 20, 2026 | Not documented |
Upkeep is measured against each robot’s own snapshot. Costs keep the maker’s scope, so check what each figure covers.
See them in the table07 / Follow the evidence
Open books.
Repository files are pinned to commit 16eccd0. Websites and papers are listed with their review dates.
- 01README.md at 16eccd0Reviewed Oct 30, 2026
- 02LICENSE at 16eccd0Reviewed Oct 30, 2026
- 03docs/Parts List.md at 16eccd0Reviewed Oct 30, 2026