AlpineBot
Specs
- Chassis
- Tracked chassis for traction on an inclined ramp.
- Down-force system
- Electric ducted fan (EDF) down-force traction.
- Compute
- Raspberry Pi 5.
- Navigation & sensing
- Vision + inertial navigation.
- Gripper
- Custom-built gripper for flag placement.
Why down-force, not just grip
A tracked chassis climbing a steep incline runs out of traction long before it runs out of motor power — the tracks spin instead of driving the robot forward. AlpineBot's answer is an electric ducted fan (EDF) that pushes air down through the chassis. That airflow presses the tracks into the ramp surface, adding grip mechanically instead of through added weight — a heavier chassis or stronger motors — which would only have to be hauled up the same incline.
Seeing and sensing the climb
A Raspberry Pi 5 runs onboard, handling the vision and inertial navigation that keep AlpineBot tracking the ramp and the flag position as it climbs — camera-based vision combined with inertial sensing, not either alone.
Planting the flag
At the top of the ramp, a custom-built gripper picks up and plants a flag — the task the chassis, down-force system, and navigation stack are built to complete. The RoboRAVE International AlpineBot event runs this climb-and-plant sequence against a time limit: chassis, EDF down-force, compute, and navigation all have to hold together through one continuous run. That run placed AlpineBot gold at RoboRAVE International, Osaka, in 2026.