Climbing-Related Ideas for Mechanical Engineering Design Project

Hey Everybody,

I am a senior studying mechanical engineering at UMass and will be doing my senior design project this semester. It is pretty open ended design project and I am looking for some ideas that are climbing related because that would be much more interesting for me. I was looking for similar threads and could not find anything, it seems like this would be a good opportunity to make something useful. Do you have any ideas or things that you would like to see modified or created regarding climbing gear? Even if it's not climbing related, I'd still appreciate any input.

Thanks so much,
Steven

I think a fluid based load absorber would be fun. Not practical but fun and it would be possible to model the system pretty easily I would think. Or a system where you use a mtn bike brake pad a piece of metal.

How about a piece of pro made out of a very hard memory material? It looks like a large chock, but when you apply current to it, it becomes malleable do it can fit into any number of placements. Turn off the current and it tries to return to its rigid square form, thereby camping or locking into place.

Are there any restrictions or design limitations?

Steven,

One of the areas I've noticed a lack of good pro is wide cracks. Big cams and Big Bro's are the only option. Big Bro's are hard to place and cams are heavy. I've been thinking that if you could put a cam lobe on an axle at the end of a big bro that might be worth designing. You could do it in Solidworks pretty easy and test the forces in ANSYS.

Since part of my work is designing climbing gear I´ll tell you what the Holy Grail is to work towards. A device which can be installed on a tensioned rope and allows the climber to ascend, stops a fall and descend controllably. Think GriGri but fits (and grips)on a straight rope. Weight and price bracket somewhere around the GigGri please!

^^^Jim, this type of device currently exists petzl.com/en/pro/verticalit…
As discussed on this thread: mountainproject.com/v/petzl…
Now if we can get the pricing down a little...

I want a piece of gear that I can always place effortlessly, no matter where, that is super solid, and doesn't weigh much.

I even have a name for it, I call it "The Toprope"

I've been waiting for a Gri-Gri-like device that works (well) with 2 ropes.

Tom-onator wrote:^^^Jim, this type of device currently exists petzl.com/en/pro/verticalit… As discussed on this thread: mountainproject.com/v/petzl… Now if we can get the pricing down a little...

Steven if you could come up with a lightweight, switchblade-style, retractable crampon that could be incorporated into any boot manufacturer's sole like the gents at
Meindl did for winter boots... awesome!
(Ed.) Yup JT, I read downclimb oops