PackTrack 41LT - R The PackTrack 41LT - R , also known as the Mechanical Universal Labor Eliminating Droid ( MULE ) , was a droid version of a beast of burden intended for use by scouts . Description . A high - tech version of a beast of burden , the PackTrack 41LT - R was a quadrupedal design that mimicked the basic structure of a horse . In place of a fur - covered hide , the PackTrack was covered in ribbed durasteel plating . All of the droid ' s servomotors or gears were covered by the durasteel plates , or by a double layer of black flexiplast . This had the advantage of making the PackTrack immune to the effects of rain or sand . A head was supported on a powerful neck ; the head contained an optical port , auditory sensors , a terrain scanner , and a long - range antenna for transmitting data back to the scout ' s base camp . Each of the droid ' s four legs terminated in three treaded wheels that gave the PackTrack its standard form of locomotion . However , if the terrain proved too rough or hazardous to traverse using its legs , the PackTrack could employ a low - power repulsorlift unit . The droid ' s legs would fold up against the unit ' s belly , allowing the repulsorlift to hover the PackTrack up to one meter above the ground . However , the droid ' s speed while using the repulsorlift was considered to be frustratingly slow . Most of the PackTrack ' s internal space was given over to storage ; the scout could store provisions , water , equipment , and samples inside two cubic meters of space , with a weight of up to ten kilograms . A heavy lifting claw located between the droid ' s fore legs could load the heaviest items into the compartment then fold away when not in use . In addition , scouts could lash equipment , such as bedrolls or tools , onto the droid ' s exterior . The droid could carry an extra forty kilograms of equipment using this method . The PackTrack was built with reliability in mind , not intelligence . It featured a simple computer brain and no vocabulator . It was not prone to breaking down often , and if something did go wrong , there were few cognitive circuit s to fix . The PackTrack also featured a self - diagnostic routine that allowed it to assist its owner with field repairs . This feature was accessed by plugging a datapad into a socket behind the droid ' s head . Role . The PackTrack 41LT - R was designed to assist scouts during their missions . Scouts were often required to explore planetary terrain for mineral deposits and signs of intelligent life which required them to leave their scout vessel s behind for weeks at a time . The PackTrack 41LT - R was intended to be used by scouts to carry their equipment over long distances as a mechanical beast of burden . While organic beasts of burden such as banthas and rontos were in common usage , scouts on the frontier needed a pack animal that was resilient , tireless , obedient , able to carry heavy loads , and was unlikely to die due to contracting an organic virus from the planet ' s atmosphere or food chain . History . The PackTrack 41LT - R was a favorite droid among scouts . They were also used on occasion by the Alliance Special Forces ; however , they emitted a detectable repulsor " footprint , " and so were only used when necessary . Behind the scenes . The PackTrack 41LT - R was originally known as the PackTack 41LT - R when the droid was introduced in 1993 s ' " " . This name was used when the droid was mentioned in " " . However , in " The Essential Guide to Droids " , the name was changed to PackTrack , a spelling that remained constant through its subsequent appearances .