UKC

Hello guys!

I am part of a group of first years Industrial Design students at the University of Eindhoven. Currently we are working on a project called ‘Wearable Senses’, it is about integrating technology in clothing and textiles. We looked at several subjects and we ended up finding wallclimbing (boldering) the most fascinating. We did some research and spoke to several climbers and eventually we came up with a design for a flexible device for your feet that will be able to measure whether you change the position of your feet often or not since that is a common mistake. The device will send the data to your smartphone and it will give you immediate feedback on how you can improve your technique.
(at the end of this topic you will find a more detailed definition of our project)

However, we would like to extend the group of climbers we know since our feedback at the moment is rather limited. We would like to involve you guys in the designing process and therefore I would be very grateful if you could help us out with tips & tricks and maybe more common climbingerrors which we could tackle by integrating it in our product.
If you like it I will keep you updated in the future, who knows, maybe you can even test the prototypes!

See you on the wall!

The Feetforward Team


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The best way to learn is through feedback: doing, analyzing and improving. This counts for university, everyday chores, sports and basically anything else. Indoor wall climbers need this feedback just as much as any other sportsman. Therefore, we designed a product that should help them improve their technique. For climbers, it is extremely important that they know how to position their feet. Even though most of their strength is in their arms, they will always need their legs and feet to remain stable on the wall. Hesitation with the placement of the feet can be fatal, thus climbers ought to position their feet quickly and wisely. We designed an element for a climbing shoe that should help them in doing this. This element is to be put around the shoe. There are several pressure sensors placed on the sole of the shoe which indicate whether the climber places his foot on a handle on the wall and whether he moves his foot several times on the same handle or not. The goal that the climber should want to achieve is to move his foot as little as possible once it is placed on a handle because this will lead to the most efficient and fastest way of climbing.
Essential for this design is that it is easy to use and that it doesn’t bother the climber while he is on the wall. It should be able to detect pressure on every spot of the sole of the shoe as climbers often only use a small part of their feet to climb. The technology should be integrating in a way such that it will not break when you stand on it or fall. The materials used should be strong and hard to wear out as the climber will be walking and standing on them constantly. As the main purpose of the product is to provide the climber with feedback and feed forward, this should be made available to the climber in a simple way, so he can check his achievements at any given moment. An application for a smartphone would be good for this as he will most likely take his phone to the climbing hall when he goes there. If he can check his achievements in between climbing sessions, he can adjust his way of climbing every time and use his time in a smart way.

Interesting stuff, nice idea.

I think you should aim to record what you can with real climbs and climbers without too many pre-conceptions, seeing if there are differences between those that fail/succeed or those who are experienced/beginners. Science often challenges our intuition and beliefs, which is why measurement is so important. I think you will need a good pressure sensor network all over the foot: climbers often use very small edges on very specific bits of the shoes, or use heels or toes to hook onto holds. My personal favorite is a heel/toe lock in a horizontal crack . I guess you will be videoing the climbs as well to help make sense of the data?

I like to think I am very keen on footwork, and do agree that it is very important. I would note that beginners often bang their feet on the wall because they end up out of balance, where good climbers glide up silently. I also think I make many foot movements compared to a beginner, often more than hand movements, so I think "changing feet often" is probably a mark of more advanced climbing rather than less? I find the ideal foot placement changes with every move, and that moving your feet efficiently and with control often means a complex dance round several holds? This is especially true on overhangs, where losing a foothold can be disastrous.

Good luck with your project, and please post any findings back here!

In reply to RobertHepburn:
Thanks for your reply!

So you propose to measure the differences between beginners and more experienced climbers? Sounds like a good idea, we will do that as soon as we have a fully functional prototype since the electronics are not integrated in the shoe yet.

We have already made plans for your second remark and we will test it as soon as possible, we will keep you updated!

If you have any further ideas, feel free to post them, we can use every suggestion!