To help Darth Maul track down the fugitive Queen Amidala from Naboo, he employed a number of spherical, single-eyed probe droids dispatched from the Sith Infiltrator. These floating globes hovered throughout Mos Espa, attempting to ferret out any signs of the Queen and her Jedi protectors.
These probe droids, controlled by a wrist-link worn by Darth Maul, reported back to the Sith Lord. Maul then soared into the Queen's landing site aboard his swift and lean Sith speeder, attacking Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Although Jinn escaped, the effectiveness of these stealthy spy droids cannot be disputed.
The probes weaved their way through the crowded port city of Mos Espa, searching for any indication of the missing Queen. Rather than locate Amidala directly, the droids did identify one of her Jedi protectors inside the Mos Espa Grand Arena.
Qui-Gon Jinn was so focused on his mission to acquire parts for the Queen's damaged starship as well as free Anakin Skywalker from slavery that he at first missed the spying presence of a Sith probe droid. But as he and Anakin left the outskirts of Mos Espa, Qui-Gon spotted and destroyed one of the intrusive little probes.
The Sith probe droids were equipped with detailed information about Queen Amidala to assist in their search for the Naboo fugitive.