First Motion Milestone: Six-Wheel Drive System Comes to Life

The team tested the CAN adapter with six ODrives over ROS commands, achieving full calibration and coordinated motion on all six wheels for the first time.

Team members around LEAP-One's bare chassis during CAN-bus testing.27 OCT 2025 · Select to enlarge

This week, our team successfully tested the CAN adapter with six ODrives using ROS commands — achieving full calibration and coordinated motion for all six wheels for the very first time.

The integration marks a crucial step toward validating the rover's drivetrain and control architecture, proving the seamless communication between hardware and software subsystems.

This achievement was led by Harsha Gottimukkala (Team Lead), with critical contributions from Ayan (Electronics Lead) and Omar (Software Team) — who successfully executed the first motion control sequence that brought the rover's wheels to life.

Moments like these remind us how collaboration and persistence transform complex systems into tangible progress. The rover is rolling forward — literally and figuratively.