HSM ARIES // LEAP ROVERS / PROJECT 01
LEAP Rovers.
Beginning with LEAP-One.
PROJECT 01 / MISSION BASELINE
Built to
go farther.
Mobility
6×Independent BLDC drive modulesEnergy
1.5 kWh25.6 V LiFePO₄ power architectureScience
≥300 mmCoaxial auger sampling depthA growing rover programme
ONE SERIES. FIRST ROVER.
LEAP Rovers is HSM Aries’ evolving family of planetary robotic platforms. LEAP-One is its inaugural rover: Project 01, built to establish the technical foundation for the missions and machines that follow.
Its six independent Botwheel BLDC modules, differential rocker-bogie and 25.6 V LiFePO₄ power bus unite mobility, sensing, manipulation and deep sampling in one field-ready machine—an architecture designed to inform the next leap.
Vehicle architecture / LEAP-One
Four mission systems.
One rover.
LEAP-One integrates six-wheel mobility, autonomous navigation, precision manipulation and deep-sampling science on one field-ready research platform.
The view from
mission control.
A purpose-built LEAP-One workstation brings mapping, telemetry, camera supervision and subsystem operations into one field-ready control environment.
Core Subsystems
FOUR MISSION SYSTEMS
Rocker-bogie suspension built for steep inclines, loose gravel and complex obstacles.
CUSTOM DRIVETRAIN & 3D TYRES
The passive differential rocker-bogie keeps all six custom TPU wheels in contact over rough terrain. Its 180 mm nominal clearance, 35° slope target and 60 mm obstacle capability are designed for demanding analogue field work.
Power Architecture
2S2P LiFePO₄ POWER SYSTEM
Four 12.8 V, 30 Ah LiFePO₄ modules are configured in 2S2P to form a 25.6 V, 60 Ah main bus with approximately 1.5 kWh of stored energy.
Regulated DC-DC conversion, centralized distribution and a solid-state-relay E-Stop isolate the mobility bus while retaining computation and communications for diagnostics.
Industrial Manufacturing
AEROSPACE-GRADE FABRICATION
The lightweight primary structure uses aluminium 3.3535 (5754), with 20×40 mm rocker linkages and a 20×20 mm differential bar. Boehm Group GmbH manufactured the rover base as part of the team’s industrial collaboration.
Every structural component is engineered to withstand high impact shocks, extreme vibration, and Martian thermal cycles.
Engineering data // project 01
Vehicle dossier.
The verified integration baseline for LEAP-One: a field-ready planetary rover platform built for mobility, science and autonomous operation.
Mobility & structure
Load-bearing structure, terrain handling and motive force.
- Estimated system mass
- ≈74.8 kg
- Chassis material
- Aluminium 3.3535 (5754)
- Suspension type
- 6-Wheel Rocker-Bogie with Differential
- Ground clearance
- 180 mm nominal
- Gradeability
- 35° incline traverse
- Drivetrain
- 6× Botwheel BLDC + ODrive S1
- Wheel architecture
- Custom 3D-Printed TPU Wheels
Power & compute
Energy storage, endurance and the compute core behind the mission.
- Battery architecture
- 4× 12.8 V, 30 Ah LiFePO₄ in 2S2P
- Stored energy
- 25.6 V · 60 Ah · ≈1.5 kWh
- Estimated autonomy
- ≈1 h 21 min at design load
- Primary compute
- ROG NUC 15 + Teensy 4.1
Mission systems
Autonomy, science instrumentation and mission communication links.
- Autonomy framework
- ROS 2 on Ubuntu 24.04 · EKF + DWA
- Manipulation system
- Igus ReBeL 6-DoF · 2 kg payload
- Sampling drill
- 530 mm coaxial auger · ≥300 mm depth
- Primary data link
- 5 GHz AirMAX TDMA · 400 m verified
- Backup link
- 2.4 GHz ExpressLRS
Backed by industry leaders and academic pioneers
