TIR Rope crawler

The Rope Crawler competition pushes teams to design ingenious mechanical robots that climb, grip, and traverse suspended ropes using only the simplest parts: one TT-style yellow gear motor, a switch, and a pack of 4x AA Alkaline batteries. No microcontrollers, no programming—just pure mechanical creativity.

Robots must crawl along a one-meter-high rope course filled with obstacles such as slopes, bumps, slippery coatings, sagging sections, and even blasts of wind. The challenge lies in clever gearing, grip mechanisms, and efficient designs that can adapt to unpredictable rope conditions while carrying loads of up to 250 g.

Scoring rewards both distance covered and speed, with bonus points for the fastest finishes. Early rounds feature basic tracks, while finals combine multiple obstacles into complex courses that demand robust, well-tuned machines. Open to high school and university students, this event highlights teamwork, problem-solving, and the art of building elegant mechanical systems from minimal components.

Here are some examples (videos) for your inspiration! [V1] [V2] [V3] [V4] [V5] [V6]

How To start

Read the rules, build your robot, and stay connected on Discord and email for updates (including hotel discounts). If you need a visa invitation letter, you can request one. Then, make sure you complete these steps (for university students, high-school students get more time!):

• By Friday, October 10th – Pre-register your team using [this form].

• By Friday, October 17th – Pay on the [ticketing page] to confirm registration.

• By Wednesday, October 29th (4 pm) – Arrive in Monterrey and check in.