Does anyone know of a good rover besides the Ferret Mk3? I don’t want to pay $3,000.
I can’t help you with the rovers…sorry.
Welcome back to our forum, Don!..enjoy participating. 
Hey there Don! Ben here from SuperDroid Robots. We build the GPK-32 which is a pretty popular inspection robot for crawl spaces. Link to GPK-32 Inspection Robot
It features an HD camera with a live feed to the controller, powerful LED lights, and you can record 1080p video/photos onto an SD card. The crawler runs off standard Dewalt 20V batteries with about 2 hours of runtime. Whole thing comes in a Vault Pelican case to make transporting it easy.
Since we’re partnered with InterNACHI you can save an extra $50 using the promo code InterNACHI0221.
We also have a version with a 10x optical zoom camera and another with 4-wheel drive instead of tracks.
Always happy to answer any questions you have!
You say you can save an extra $50 with a promo code. What is the pre extra savings?
1 Like
Don, I am no expert on drones, but I am not willing to pay $3,000. I got me one of this “adult toys” (not X rated). For under $100 plus the Wyze 1080 dpi Camera (another $35) I empowered my crawl space Inspection capabilities for under $150.
This tool has provided me with a different angle to take a picture under a structure. Combined with a powerful 2,000 lumen flashlight.
If this drone can not navigate the crawl space, I should not be down there myself.
It is not a “Toy”, it is very accurate in its movements. The camera takes awesome pictures opening the road to a Certified Structural Engineer to complete the assessment. I can document and support lack of vapor barriers, disorderly layout of isolation materials if any are present and other minor non-invasive/ non-destructive assessments.
2 Likes
That is very much a toy.
1 Like
I respect your opinion Scot, but It does the job…!
I would like to remain you all, If we stick to our role as Home Inspectors, and to the State and InterNACHI “SOP”… we do not need to go under any crawl space if is not accessible. Sending my “Wyze Car HD 4X4 All terrain Camera” has blown my Realtors-Partners minds and for the time being… is within budget…! 
Pedro J Marin | BSEE, MBA, PMP, LHI
(443)797-4626
4 Likes
I’m with you on your thinking Pedro. I can’t see paying high dollar for something that I may be using on 2 out of 10 crawlspace inspections. I understand the “custom” or hand built pricing, but the market is very limited to 95% of inspectors that don’t really need or can afford them.
3 Likes
Thomas, Hi…!
You bring something very interesting to the table. I can further illustrate this point with the following analogy: “Is not the same to be a good painter, than to own the Painting company”. And when you own & run the business, it has to make financial sense.
A great hand-held infrared camera ($3,000), a nice Professional grade Drone ($2,500) and this nice Crawl Space Rover ($3,000)… Total $8,500 or what would be 22 X $400 Average Inspections.
If I can do the job with a $350 IR Camera attached to my iPhone + a $350 Drone at Costco + $150 Wyze 4X4 1080 dpi Rover = 2.5 X $400 Inspections.
Pedro J Marin | BSEE, MBA, PMP, LHI
(443)797-4626
1 Like
This is a rather spurious argument. Logic suggest that you can’t do the same job with the same level of competence or accuracy. A low resolution thermal camera will not provide accurate or repeatable images and will result in inconclusive information and errors. You might as well guess and skip the cheap tools.
Normally the GPK-32 is priced at $3040, but we discounted it down to $2870. Including the InterNACHI discount that would bring the price down to $2820. That includes the crawler & controller, two Dewalt batteries, a Dewalt charger, SD card, and the Vault case to store it all.
1 Like
I can understand wanting to save money up front by going with something like the Wyze car. But there’s a reason cars like that are so cheap. Just look at the reviews and you can see it has limitations.
Crawlers like the GPK-32 provide value beyond just being a camera on wheels/tracks. They open up new clients by letting you inspect crawl spaces other inspectors would write off. Crawlers add a layer of safety by checking out an area for health hazards before going in yourself. Plus, they let you record video/images for later review.
At the end of the day, a GPK-32 is an investment, just like any quality piece of equipment.
Here we go…! Robert… 
You are right, no argument there…!
However, and more specific on infrared image interpretation, the camera will give you the ‘picture’, the software will give you the ‘data’, if you superimpose the heat emitting image to the actual HD physical image (like my FLIR Camera does) and you ‘ADD’ your expertise and knowledge of the structural systems hidden behind the subject area (plumbing.electric/insulation/other) you may, repeat… “may” arrive at the correct conclusion. But… if you complement the task with an invasive destructive (dig a hole/open the drywall) you will get much closer to a proper determination of any existing or misleading superficial observation.
By then, you have probably invested all three hours of your home field inspection in just that issue… and you will be late to deliver the overall inspection report. Therefore, here is we’re the wonderful world of home inspections takes you to the most powerful report wording… “further evaluation by a Licensed infrared scientist-specific contractor is recommended”… 
Keep in mind that such “further evaluation may determine that there is either a major catastrophic problem or simply it may corroborate that there is not a concerning issue at hand”…. and the Home Inspector Has done it’s Job, to observe, note and report…!
Pedro J Marin | BSEE, MBA, PMP, LHI
(443)797-4626
Ferret Mk3, BIG Crawler Bar None, and GPK32 are all within range of each other on price. There are reasons for that.
All of us, and I do mean all, could turn out a lower price product. And I just might. But there are valid reasons that our current offerings are priced as they are.
Beyond the business side of things, wherein we need to account for parts and materials, and time required for manufacturing and assembly, there is the client side….
Our efforts must satisfy a few client expectations and concerns. They need to….
-go where toys can’t…
-easily capture quality imagery…
-operate as simple as possible while doing as much as possible…
-be durable…
Among other things.
Justifying expense to the bean counters is a real thing. So your businesses need to be able to make use of the tools you buy. What is missing in a lot of industry reviews is the great utility of rovers in general, and pro-built rovers in particular.
Scot and I have been involved in a quiet and friendly “arms race” for a while, which has led us both to continually innovate. Our machines can get into places others can not, operate, and get back home. 6” spaces are not a problem. The effort it took to get a machine that low, to do the job, and still beat 4” pipes, while remaining reliable, is staggering.
SDR took the rigid hull route, and among tank builders, probably has the best offering.
I don’t begrudge anyone wanting a less expensive offering. I could drop the rover price $110 by excluding the very advanced motor package within the Mk3. But I won’t. The FOC setup provides a massive stability advantage for moving video, and great speed control abilities. It’s reasons for installation include durability, sealed can protection, overload protection, programmability and efficient battery usage.
The less expensive rover offerings have an advantage in price, but I doubt there is any performance advantage.
In the end, there is someone else to consider. Homebuyer clients. While SOPs allow disclaiming certain spaces for various reasons, clients still want to know what’s down there.
The choice remains: Disclaim, or Not.
Rovers deliver, and pro-built rovers deliver consistently.
1 Like
Ben…is this price still valid?
Hey there Charlie, thanks for reaching out. The pricing I mentioned in my previous post is now out of date, you can find the current price of the inspection crawler here: Link to GPK-32
Well, it’s looking like 3K-ish is becoming the low end of the spectrum. Inspectorbot and SuperDroid top the list of prices, now…. and maybe Tobor X-bot.
32% increase for SD.
Parts costs have risen. But 32%?
Unfortunately, we couldn’t hold off on a price increase any longer without significantly impacting the quality, features, or usability of the robot. The recent 20% price adjustment was our first significant price increase in two years for the GPK.
All of the components used in our robots have significantly increased in price (many increasing much more than 20%), not to mention the additional cost incurred trying to procure materials with the supply chain challenges the past two years.
Our team is always working on streamlining the production for the GPK-32 without sacrificing quality to help mitigate some of the price.