UKC

Whilst browsing Kickstarter (a website that allows people to fund their creative products) I noticed something which I hadn't heard of before called Climbax, a climbing wrist band that records and assesses your climbing.

It seems quite interesting to me and the developers have obviously got quite far in the production process... Having looked at their website http://www.climbax.co.uk and their kickstarted page http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/210109440/climbax-climbing-wrist-bands-...

I can't help but feel that this is really going to be of any use for bouldering. For example, when placing gear in trad how will that affect the data recorded?

I'd be interested to see what you think about the product?

In reply to Jordangask:

Even if it does turn out to be useful, I see 2 problems with it:

1) it sounds like a sex toy
2) I don't think climbers will shell out the cash for them. We are a stingy bunch.

In reply to knighty:

I don't know... like with cyclists and runners, people like to buy gadgets that show us statistics about what we do. My real issue with it is that I can't see how it will work when it comes to Alpine environments or trad climbing (both of which the gadget is supposedly fine for) as neither of these 2 climbing environments are as simple as move after move like in bouldering.

In reply to Jordangask:

Not to be confused with Climax the German Climbing Magazine.

In reply to Jordangask:

Im out.

In reply to Jordangask:

I'm sure the science of climbing movement would be a lot simpler to get a hold on if it was governed only by the movement of your wrist. We'd all be climbing 8a in not time.

In reply to Jordangask:

...or climb-ax - the tree felling company.

If I fall off, I'm climbing badly. If I stay on till the top, I'm climbing well.

That's all the data I need

In reply to Jordangask:
Wear it while drinking and see what it comes up with. Reckon I could easily beat Ondra and co.

In reply to Jordangask:

Jordangask: - Thanks and glad you can see the potential! We have been working on this really hard for about 2 years now. We tried to make it exactly the opposite of "just another gadget" and went as far as performing a validation study. In the study we tried to predict competition results using the sensor and compare predictions to actual results (points) - it worked with a correlation of about 0.8!

As you mention (and Dave does in the video) the device is a "training" aid. To this end we only detect "bouts" of climbing movements. We reject things like placing gear, belaying, walking, etc etc. However, as we do report intervals between climbs, it is possible to work out for instance length spent on a stance/ledge (if this is actually interesting?) which I did for the Comici route last year.

As for the future, we have several plans;
*Social media compares between mates
*Online comps
*etc

But what we want to do is get the basics right first and build a bullet proof platform.

Happy to answer comment on any aspect of the system here if folk have questions?

Also wanted to take to opportunity to say a huge thanks to all whom are supporting us! Its the first system of its kind and its been a struggle to get where we are. Just for the record we are totally self funded bunch of friends (not a huge organisation) with a passion to make this work.

Cas (project lead)

In reply to Mark Collins:

Or Climb-ex, meeting up with the ex for a cheeky session at the wall.

In reply to Jordangask:

Might not work too well in jamming cracks!

In reply to Jordangask:

that looks proper shit.

In reply to Jordangask:

"Climbing wrist bands that assess your skill"

I think the grade you climb does that.

In reply to Jordangask:

I don't like it. I'm out.

In reply to Jordangask:

Strava for climbing!?

Not that I'm going to bother with them.

In reply to Jordangask:

Products don't have to be 100% accurate to be useful.

Is an interesting idea. Heart rate monitors prove useful for many in training, as do GPS units and even those trivially simple step counters.

I'd quite like a device that did nothing more than gauge meters climbed indoor vs time and heart rate.

In reply to Jordangask:

ClimbLax - no more worry about soiling yourself on that dicey crux move. Empty your Bowels before you Climb. Warning, active ingredient is Picolax.

In reply to Jordangask:

For those interested:

"What it does" and "How it works"

http://tinyurl.com/q4tdu4a

In reply to Jordangask:

Backed...... Just because I like gadgets and pretty graphs!

vimeo.com/13831211

In reply to Jordangask:

>Whilst browsing Kickstarter (a website that allows people to fund their creative products) I noticed something which I hadn't heard of before called Climbax, a climbing wrist band that records and assesses your climbing.

And you paid £5 to have a chat about it?

Solid marketing. Why not just advertise it yourself?

In reply to neuromancer:
I'd imagine that the topic was started on a normal forum, and Climbax were subsequently asked to pay for a premier post as its advertising their product.

In reply to Jordangask:

I really hope the developers haven't invested too much money in this product because I cannot see them making any money off of it.

Imagine it being put it against a panel of climbers in a climbing version of the dragon's den.

Shame because the designers obviously have some skill that could have been put to better use on a different electronics product. I spent a long time thinking about an electronics device that could be used for climbing (for my degree project) but the fact is that there's not much that anyone would buy. It's bad enough having to buy the essential items! Climbers are a stingy bunch...

In reply to Ricardo Cassim:

How does your wristband compare to this https://www.thalmic.com/en/myo/

Seems like they can sense the muscles in your forearm to indicate when you move fingers and so on.

In reply to tom_in_edinburgh:


God I want one of these...

In reply to Jordangask:

I worry that things like shaking out WILL still be registered as "climbing movement" and what kind of information does it expect to gain, I'm assuming it will just detect how smoothly you climb?

In reply to GDes: Yes you're correct Ged, I wrote this post to start conversation, I didn't pay to make this a premier post, there'd be no benefit to me!

In reply to Philo22:

So do I!

In reply to Jordangask: an interesting idea, would be good to hear people's experiences with these after using them and letting it acess to you !

In reply to Jordangask:

Love to give these a go, I'll back them but it doesn't look like they're going to get anywhere near their goal sadly.

In reply to Kieran_John:

Yeah, a shame really! The only promotion I've seen is this thread which I made premier because I liked the idea.

Looks like it could do with a little money spent on promotion at walls, etc.