The MMR-9 repair droid came to be thanks to Imik Suum, a Sullustan designer working for the SoroSuub Corporation. This occurred near the close of the Galactic Republic era. Drawing inspiration from construction droids, its design allowed operation in dangerous locations where organic lifeforms could not survive. A failed attempt by the Fireclaw Horde to seize the Queen of Cularin, a luxury liner, using altered MMR-9 units, resulted in the droid model never being made available for public purchase.
The initial reference to the MMR-9 droid can be found within the In the Name of the Maker adventure from the Living Force campaign. It was originally called the "MMR-8 recovery droid" in this context. Later, The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia included an entry, referring to them as "MMR-9"s. This article considers the Encyclopedia's designation to be the definitive one, as The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia was released following In the Name of the Maker.