Indoor rock climbing treadmill that never runs out of wall

Indoor

Imagine an endless rock climbing wall. As you climb to its peak, the wall moves downward with a new set of rock climbing holds. The speed and inclination can be controlled while also tracking the distance climbed. The rocks, which are the hand and foot hold for the climb, change positions on every cycle of the climb. Random variations of speed, inclination and rock positions can be programmed to make each climb unpredictable.

47 points | 88 comments

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I suppose we can add biometrics to the indoor rock climbing wall. The machine could record the heart rate and breathing and then store the data. This data can be uploaded to your phone or to a website so you can track your progress. Having these records around, could also help you if you are a suspect in a crime. Your rock climbing records will show where you are at a specific date and time. Your alibi is rock solid.

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@briley98754 I like the idea of using the climbing records as alibi. But as an alternative, we can have a camera attached to the wall and record your climb. Knowing how you look while climbing can help improve your technique. Sometimes you think you look

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@briley98754 Treadmills can detect the heart rate when the runner places his hands on a grip hold for a few seconds. The same principle also applies to the wall but rather than using a grip hold the climbing hold or the rocks can measure the heart rate. T

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@wjohnson2 But how can the machine tell the difference between excitement, fear and fatigue? I'm in the middle of my climb and a hot girl walks in. For sure the wall will automatically bring me down.

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@aross3 Wouldn't you want to meet the girl? So in a way the machine is helping you out.

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@alee4 On second thought, you're right. This machine is awesome!

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Do not propose to your girlfriend on this machine. I did this once. She told me to get a grip and left me hanging.

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Let's call this rock climbing machine Dwayne Johnson. You know, for obvious reasons

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@acole6 Why not infinity wall? Or endless peak maybe?

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@hpeterson7 ARC reactor. Artificial (A) Rock (R) Climbing (C) reactor because the wall reacts or moves when it changes climbing holds.

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Does this come with an x-ray too? In case I fall and break my bones, atleast I'll know which ones I broke.

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One of the reasons why you rock or wall climb is to reach the top. It is a nice feeling when you finish a climb and it's like you've conquered the wall or mountain. The view from the top is good too. With this machine, you are taking away all this. It's like just climbing an endless ladder and stop when you are tired. The effort is not rewarded with the sense of accomplishment of getting to the top.

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@eelliotta How about we place a ledge at the top of the rock climbing machine? Set the height you want to climb and then the machine stops when you've reached this. After this you get to climb at the top of the ledge which is also the top of the wall. Sin

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I think the best part of this is that you no longer have to climb down. Just grab on to one of the rocks and let the machine bring you down.

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@jjohnsonb Or you attach a slide into the wall or maybe a pole so you can go down like a fireman.

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@rbennettc Imagine how stinky the slide or the pole will be. Sweaty guys sliding down and wiping their bodies in the slide or pole.

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@darnoldd Well atleast the pole will be slippery enough to prevent chaffing. Natural lubricant from sweat.

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@rbennettc There's a net at the bottom of the wall. Just jump from the top and let the net break your fall.

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@Alexander Will I break my neck too when I land in the net?

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It would be cool if there's a setting based on the Yosemite Decimal Rating system. This rates the difficulty of the climb depending on several factors such as slope, hold and technique. Starting difficulty is a class 5 climb but can be set to 5.15a as the maximum. The climber selects the difficulty and the wall automatically adjusts the climb path based on the climbing rating.

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@pbrownn What if we consider body fat in the climb rating? Climbing a 5 with 40% body fat might be a lot more difficult for someone with 5% body fat climbing a 5.8. Gravity sucks, literally.

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@aleeo Place a McDonalds takeout booth at the top and you'll see the fat people climb faster than spiderman. Never undersestimate the power of a hungry fat person.

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@pbrownn Why not use the v-scale? I think this is more standard.

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I've always been a fan of indoor climbing gyms. It is much more accessible and has a more controlled environment. It is much safer since you no longer have to consider the stability of the climbing surface, equipment strength and weather. Overall if you're just a casual climber, an indoor climbing wall will do just fine and this machine can take the experience to a whole new level.

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Curious about the dimensions for this wall. I'm clear on how it works, basically like a treadmill, but not sure how it would look like. How big is the wall? Is this something you can put in your home or can this be only seen in a gym?

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@cjordans The wall is 6 meters high. When you are 4 meters in the climb, the wall will move downward for the next rock placements. Below the wall is a net to absorb impact of your fall. There are 2 pillars connected to the left and right side of the wall.

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@Alexander I think we should just remove the ropes and have a safety net or cushion at the base of the wall instead. If you have climbing ropes, you still need to worry about the tension and worst case scenario if you fall the rope can wrap around your ne

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@wphillipst Well if you want to do real climbing, you need to learn how to handle the ropes. Can't imagine climbing a crag without ropes. Not ballsy or stupid enough.

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I don't think we should make each climb unpredictable. Instead, there's a predefined route setting that depends on the diffulty of the climb. The climber can then choose the route setting depending on his skill level.

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@prayv You know what you're right. It's good to have predefined climbing routes where the users can easily choose. But let's still keep the unpredictable routes for the advanced climbers. They might want to enjoy the challenge.

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