The Mountain Terrain Armored Transport (MT-AT) was an arachnid-like eight-legged walker, apparently designed on the Galactic Empire's fortress world of Carida. This design earned it the nickname "Spider Walker".
MT-AT schematics.
Each walker-unit was deployed on-planet by a cocoon pod, similar to the deployment of Arakyd Viper probe droids, and emerged from the impact crater fully operational. These cocoon pods encased the walker in a fluid gel that protected its descent to a planet's surface.
A droid brain in the pod controlled the speed and direction and activated decelerating thrusters shortly before impact. When the pod impacted on the surface, the bistate gel hardened, absorbing the kinetic energy and protecting the walker from damage.
MT-AT.
The MT-AT was based on the design of the Separatist LM-432 crab droid used at Imperial academies following the end of the Clone Wars.
MT-ATs saw action during the attempted kidnapping of Anakin Solo while he was still a baby, even though half of the force was destroyed by Admiral Gial Ackbar's FIDO unit. All but one of the vehicles were destroyed during the kidnapping attempt, thanks to sturdy Alliance defenses.
- The Essential Guide to Characters
- "Operator's Manual" — Star Wars Galaxy Magazine 6
- The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels
- The Jedi Academy Sourcebook
- Star Wars Encyclopedia
- The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons
- Arms & Equipment Guide
- "Vehicles of Episode II" — Star Wars Insider 64
- The Official Star Wars Fact File74
- The New Essential Guide to Droids
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia