Ok, so this device measures how efficient a rock climber is being as they scale an indoor rock climbing wall. It is a measure of fluidity of movement i.e. whether or not the climber is linking moves and carrying momentum into the next move. Each climb in the gym would have a different ideal climbing style which is why the device would be calibrated for each route when the route is set.
When a climber enters a gym they would take one of these devices from a docking station, clip it to the back of their harness and then before each climb they select the route number of the climb they are about to start. They then press a start button immediately before starting the climb and then the same button again after the climb. They then receive a score of fluidity out of 20.
As for the technology behind this I haven't decided yet whether or not to use motion capture technology found in animation studios, or gyros and accelerometers. I know the motion capture tech. is sound as in my research I found it had been used on climbers before. Must weigh up advantages and disadvantages for both.
As for the form of the device I have attached a photo where you can see the evolution of the models (my very first model I don't have in the photo because I foolishly binned it). I used soft models to find the form as I wanted something that felt really nice in the hand, plus my drawing skill aren't good enough yet to draw what I wanted to make.
On the top face you can see a screen and a scroll wheel (for selecting the route). There is a trigger on the rear face as a select/start/stop button. Is is designed to be operated with one hand (either left or right) so that the other can be holding onto the wall if need be. Added to this the main section of the unit will be have a retractable cord attached to the smaller segment which is then attached to the harness. This is so it can be used without having to constantly clip it on and off the harness.
I have finalised the form for model making workshop, it the third soft model on the right. I have just started the basic shaping of the wooden blocks on the right (all 18 of them).
I am still experimenting with form for design studio and hopefully I will travel the full circle!
Sam Foss
Looking good bud, coming along nicely. Just a thought, is the screen inset? otherwise it'd probably scratch on the harness as you climb. Also I'm for the accelerometer design, might not be as cool technologically but makes the design more easily malleable to other applications, such as measuring cadence etc.
ReplyDeleteEd
Ooo good point about the screen, hadn't thought about that. It was going to be flush with the outer covering, but with a slight curve to it. So I guess yeah it would be slightly inset.
ReplyDeleteThe only issue I have with using it for other applications is that for every climb there will be "the most efficient" way to climb it. So that will have to be an input (still figuring that out) which will be specifically tailored to climbing. So using it for different apps may mean putting more computing power into the handset rather than the base station. What I'm trying to say is I dont want to clutter it up with too many buttons etc. I will definitely explore that option further though.
sf