K10 Rovers are used to explore planetary surfaces. Each third-generation K10 has four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...

, all-wheel steering and a passive averaging suspension. This helps reduce the motion induced by travel over uneven ground. The K10 has mounting points on its front, back, and bottom that allows for antennas, sensors, and other scientific instruments to be attached. The K10 controller runs on a Linux

Linux

Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...

 laptop and communicates via 802.11g wireless, or a Tropos mesh wireless

Tropos Networks

Tropos Networks was founded in 2000 and is a United States-based provider of IP broadband mesh network solutions for building utility distribution area networks for the smart grid and smart cities. Tropos systems aggregate communications from utilities for multiple applications with the goal of...

.