🌐 Clearpath Robotics

About Clearpath Robotics

Clearpath Robotics was founded in 2009 in Waterloo, Ontario, by a group of engineering graduates from the University of Waterloo. The company became one of the dominant suppliers of research and development UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle) platforms globally, with a product line spanning wheeled and tracked robots across a range of form factors. Clearpath was acquired by OTTO Motors' parent company and operates under the Rockwell Automation portfolio, bringing significant industrial automation resources to its research-grade product line.

Clearpath's platforms, including Husky, Jackal, Ridgeback, and Dingo, are used by hundreds of universities, research institutes, and government labs worldwide. The robots ship with ROS and ROS2 integration as standard, and Clearpath maintains one of the most comprehensive open-source robot driver libraries in the industry. This ecosystem depth has made Clearpath the default choice for academic robotics research requiring outdoor or indoor mobile bases with reliable software support.

The company also offers the OutdoorNav autonomy stack for GPS-guided outdoor operation, extending platforms from manually driven research tools to semi-autonomous inspection and monitoring systems.

Key Products

• Husky A200: Mid-size outdoor UGV; 75 kg payload, ROS2, widely used for field robotics research
• Jackal UGV: Compact indoor/outdoor research robot; lightweight, fast, sensor-ready
• Ridgeback: Omnidirectional indoor platform; suited to manipulation research with large arms
• Dingo: Small indoor research robot; cost-effective entry point for ROS2 research

UK Market Presence

Clearpath has strong UK presence through academic sales. Most major UK universities with robotics programmes operate at least one Clearpath platform. The company sells through direct channels and authorised resellers in the UK. Pricing ranges from approximately £8,000 for a Jackal to £25,000 for a fully equipped Husky. UK-based integrators offer Clearpath platform customisation and payload integration services.

Buying Used Clearpath Equipment

Used Clearpath platforms are regularly available through UK university equipment disposals, typically priced at £4,000 to £15,000 depending on model and condition. The open-source ROS stack means software support does not depend on a commercial relationship with Clearpath. Buyers should check drive motor condition, battery health, and the state of any onboard computers. Husky units are notably repairable, with widely available spare parts.