JPL Open Source Rover Project
The JPL Open Source Rover is an open source, build it yourself, scaled down version of the 6 wheel rover design that JPL uses to explore the surface of Mars. The Open Source Rover is designed almost entirely out of consumer off the shelf (COTS) parts. This project is intended to be a teaching and learning experience for those who want to get involved in mechanical engineering, software, electronics, or robotics. All the info you need is on GitHub - https://github.com/nasa-jpl/open-source-rover
Needs a Propeller based controller though! Heck - all we need is $2500! We need to build one of these!
Read all about it here - https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/space-robots/explore-new-worlds-with-jpls-open-source-rover - at IEEE Spectrum, " Explore New Worlds With JPL’s Open Source Rover" by Evan Ackerman.
Comments
Do the plans or whatever's available cite examples for controlling it? The original up there on Mars uses an advanced VMEbus based system running any number of Real Time Operating Systems. And they are very busy looking around Mars, and well other stuff I shouldn't mention.