GENTOO

The Gentoo rover, also named after the Antarctic penguin species, is Team Polar's second-generation autonomous vehicle designed for polar exploration. This rover will cover 1100 km on Antarctica in 2026.

This interactive Gentoo showcase is made by RunFox. Find more of their work at runfox.org

In order to complete this mission, it has been designed to be able to withstand extreme conditions. Some numbers:

300 kg mass
6 m² of solar panels
24/7 operation with a mean operating speed of 2 km/h
Operational down to -40 °C
Withstanding 35 m/s katabatic winds

Equipped with 6 m² of high-efficiency solar panels, Gentoo harnesses solar energy to power its core functions: propulsion, communications, thermal management, and environmental sensing. The rover's battery operates on a complete daily charge-discharge cycle, enabling continuous operation.

Energy Autonomy

Gentoo utilizes a software stack common to autonomous road cars, and training our algorithms and artificial intelligence not to recognize pedestrians and traffic, but the snowy elements of Antarctica.

Environmental mapping is done using both LiDAR and camera.

Autonomous Navigation

Custom-designed airless 3D-printed TPU wheels prevent punctures and optimize snow contact. The electronics and battery are housed in properly insulated and controlled environments.

Environmental Resilience

216 cm

192 cm

166 cm