How to Build Easy Rover for Ore Scouting Space Engineers

Ore Detector


Category:	Functional Block
Status:	Functional

Function:
Detects up to 5 ore locations within range.

Fits small ship
Mass:	85.2 kg
Power:	-2 kW
Range:	50 m

Fits large ship and station
Mass:	1,570 kg
Power:	-2 kW
Range:	150 m

Data Controls:	[edit] [purge] (?)

The Ore Detector is an entry-level functional block in Space Engineers. When attached to a ship and supplied with power, it displays up to 5 ore locations on the player's HUD when they are within detection range — exactly like the Hand Drill does, but with possibly greater range.

Increase the range to maximum on the Control Panel Screen! The detector starts out set to an energy-preserving low range by default.

If installed on a Small Ship, the max range is 50 meters, which is not more than a hand-held drill.
If installed on a Large Ship, the max range is 150 meters.
The range of multiple Ore Detectors does not stack, ranges just overlap.

For more info about ores and their distribution, see Ores.

Broadcast

An Ore Detector has a setting Broadcast using antennas to make the ore markers on the HUD visible within the antenna range. Note that the detection range stays the same. Build an antenna on the same grid as the Ore Detector to use this feature. Make sure the antenna has broadcasting enabled as well.

This setting does not increase the detection range of the detector itself, but it's useful if you send a drone out to do the ore detecting for you, it can report its results back to your long-range station antenna. If the antenna broadcasts 3km, and the Ore Detector detects within 150m, then you can still see the HUD markers for ores that are 150m around the ore detector from 3km away. Note that asteroids only spawn when players are near, a drone can only detect ores on planets/moons.

Construction

The Ore Detector exists for large and small grid and requires 1x1x2 blocks of space. It will attach to other blocks on all faces of its cube-shaped base. The cylindrical half of the detector does not attach to blocks.

The large grid variant is preferred when ever you can afford it due its 150 m detection radius. For example, you can make a small-grid ship carry a large-grid detector + large-grid connector on its small connector.

Proof of concept: Large-grid ore detector connected to small-grid vehicle (badly balanced in this example)

Recipe

Ore Detector
Component	Large Ship/Station Required	Large Ship/Station Optional	Small Ship Required	Small Ship Optional
Detector Components	15	10	1	—
Computer	25	—	1	—
Motor	5	—	1	—
File:Icon Item Construction Component.pngConstruction Component	20	20	2	—
Steel Plate	30	20	1	2

Blocks
Structural Blocks Armor Blast Door , Blast Door Corner , Blast Door Edge , Heavy Armor Block , Heavy Armor Corner , Heavy Armor Inv Corner , Heavy Armor Slope , Light Armor Block , Light Armor Corner , Light Armor Inv Corner , Light Armor Slope Wheels 1x1 Wheel , 3x3 Wheel , 5x5 Wheel Windows Diagonal Window , Vertical Window , Window 1x1 Face , Window 1x1 Flat , Window 1x1 Flat Inv , Window 1x1 Inv , Window 1x1 Side , Window 1x1 Slope , Window 1x2 Face , Window 1x2 Flat , Window 1x2 Flat Inv , Window 1x2 Inv , Window 1x2 Side Left , Window 1x2 Side Right , Window 1x2 Slope , Window 2x3 Flat , Window 2x3 Flat Inv , Window 3x3 Flat , Window 3x3 Flat Inv Aesthetic Full Cover Wall , Half Cover Wall , Interior Pillar , Interior Wall , Passage , Ramp , Stairs , Steel Catwalk Functional Blocks Cockpits & Control Cockpit , Fighter Cockpit , Control Station , Flight Seat , Passenger Seat , Control Panel , Button Panel , Remote Control , Custom Turret Controller Automation & Communication Antenna , Beacon , Camera , Laser Antenna , Ore Detector , Programmable Block , Sensor , Timer Block Defense Decoy , Gatling Gun , Gatling Turret , Interior Turret , Missile Turret , Reloadable Rocket Launcher , Rocket Launcher , Warhead , Artillery , Autocannon , Artillery Turret , Autocannon Turret , Railgun , Assault Cannon , Assault Cannon Turret Energy Battery , Small Battery , Large Reactor , Small Reactor , Solar Panel , Hydrogen Engine , Wind Turbine Maneuvering Gyroscope , Atmospheric Thruster , Ion Thruster , Hydrogen Thruster , Wheel Suspension 1x1 , Wheel Suspension 3x3 , Wheel Suspension 5x5 Mining & Manufacturing Basic Refinery , Assembler , Basic Assembler , Drill , Grinder Block , Refinery , Welder Block , Projector , O2/H2 Generator , Oxygen Farm Storage Large Cargo Container , Medium Cargo Container , Small Cargo Container , Oxygen Tank , Hydrogen Tank Inventory Management Connector , Collector , Ejector , Conveyor Sorter , Conveyor Junction , Conveyor Frame , Conveyor Tube , Curved Conveyor Tube , Small Conveyor , Small Conveyor Tube , Small Curved Tube Mechanical Blocks & Gravity Control Advanced Rotor , Rotor , Piston , Hinge , Landing Gear , Magnetic Plate , Artificial Mass , Gravity Generator , Spherical Gravity Generator , Safe Zone Miscellaneous Merge Block , Medical Room , Survival Kit , Interior Light , Spotlight , Door , Ladder , Store , Contracts Block Removed Blocks Explosive Cube

Blocks

Structural Blocks

Armor
Blast Door , Blast Door Corner , Blast Door Edge , Heavy Armor Block , Heavy Armor Corner , Heavy Armor Inv Corner , Heavy Armor Slope , Light Armor Block , Light Armor Corner , Light Armor Inv Corner , Light Armor Slope

Wheels
1x1 Wheel , 3x3 Wheel , 5x5 Wheel

Windows
Diagonal Window , Vertical Window , Window 1x1 Face , Window 1x1 Flat , Window 1x1 Flat Inv , Window 1x1 Inv , Window 1x1 Side , Window 1x1 Slope , Window 1x2 Face , Window 1x2 Flat , Window 1x2 Flat Inv , Window 1x2 Inv , Window 1x2 Side Left , Window 1x2 Side Right , Window 1x2 Slope , Window 2x3 Flat , Window 2x3 Flat Inv , Window 3x3 Flat , Window 3x3 Flat Inv

Aesthetic
Full Cover Wall , Half Cover Wall , Interior Pillar , Interior Wall , Passage , Ramp , Stairs , Steel Catwalk

Functional Blocks

Cockpits & Control
Cockpit , Fighter Cockpit , Control Station , Flight Seat , Passenger Seat , Control Panel , Button Panel , Remote Control , Custom Turret Controller

Automation & Communication
Antenna , Beacon , Camera , Laser Antenna , Ore Detector , Programmable Block , Sensor , Timer Block

Defense
Decoy , Gatling Gun , Gatling Turret , Interior Turret , Missile Turret , Reloadable Rocket Launcher , Rocket Launcher , Warhead , Artillery , Autocannon , Artillery Turret , Autocannon Turret , Railgun , Assault Cannon , Assault Cannon Turret

Energy
Battery , Small Battery , Large Reactor , Small Reactor , Solar Panel , Hydrogen Engine , Wind Turbine

Maneuvering
Gyroscope , Atmospheric Thruster , Ion Thruster , Hydrogen Thruster , Wheel Suspension 1x1 , Wheel Suspension 3x3 , Wheel Suspension 5x5

Mining & Manufacturing
Basic Refinery , Assembler , Basic Assembler , Drill , Grinder Block , Refinery , Welder Block , Projector , O2/H2 Generator , Oxygen Farm

Storage
Large Cargo Container , Medium Cargo Container , Small Cargo Container , Oxygen Tank , Hydrogen Tank

Inventory Management
Connector , Collector , Ejector , Conveyor Sorter , Conveyor Junction , Conveyor Frame , Conveyor Tube , Curved Conveyor Tube , Small Conveyor , Small Conveyor Tube , Small Curved Tube

Mechanical Blocks & Gravity Control
Advanced Rotor , Rotor , Piston , Hinge , Landing Gear , Magnetic Plate , Artificial Mass , Gravity Generator , Spherical Gravity Generator , Safe Zone