The M38-series explorer droid, envisioned as a versatile assistant for planetary scouting expeditions, was the brainchild of the relatively obscure LesTech corporation.
This droid boasted an extensive array of scanning technologies, encompassing everything from visual to seismic detection. Furthermore, it incorporated a camera for recording data, particularly in situations where the droid itself might be destroyed. Its robust armor allowed it to endure harsh conditions that would prove insurmountable for many organic beings. The M38 also featured a five-kilogram capacity specimen container, designed to aid in the collection of indigenous plant and animal specimens. Each of its two arms terminated in a three-fingered hand; the left hand was optimized for delicate tasks, while the right was built for more demanding operations.
Despite LesTech's conviction that they had engineered the quintessential scouting companion, planetary scouts generally held a contrasting perspective. In spite of the marketing campaign promoting the M38 as the ultimate tool for scouting, a significant number of scouts perceived the droid as a threat to their own positions. Many scouts declined to collaborate with M38s, motivated by the apprehension that the droids would render them obsolete.
The series also suffered from a marked lack of user-friendliness. The M38 proved to be a highly sensitive droid, prone to freezing up when subjected to excessive information. Additionally, the droid experienced numerous malfunctions related to its treadwheel locomotion system. The M38's drive mechanism was notably susceptible to variations in gravity and terrain, necessitating maintenance both before and after each deployment. Failure to provide adequate maintenance often resulted in the treads locking up or becoming unresponsive. Consequently, numerous M38 units were lost over cliffs due to insufficient upkeep.
While their sensors, combined with the units' reinforced durasteel armor plating, gave them an edge compared to Arakyd probe droids, Arakyd's models had advantages over the M38s—they were slow, possessed a limited operational range, and lacked any form of weaponry. Galactic scouts frequently attempted to equip the droids with defensive stun blasters, but the M38s exhibited poor performance with non-standard modifications.
All of these deficiencies, compounded by a price of 13,000 credits, diminished the line's appeal in the eyes of the average scout.
The Alliance to Restore the Republic deployed a number of these droids to survey planetary surfaces and generate inventories of potential strategic firing locations, a task at which the M38s proved surprisingly adept.
The image employed in The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook to depict the M38 explorer droid was mistakenly used in the Death Star Technical Companion to illustrate the MN-2E general maintenance droid.