Color-coding your climbing route on the training wall is so last century. That鈥檚 why two augmented-reality researchers from in Finland developed a laser-projecting movement-tracking system that provides feedback in real time for climbers.
Perttu H盲m盲l盲inen and Raine Kajastila’s projector sets climbing routes with a glowing line, while a depth-sensing camera tracks movement and offers suggestions for the next move. All holds that a climber touches can be stored for later use as a route build, or climbers can use the system’s route automator to guide them and learn the holds of a certain route.
But the guidance doesn鈥檛 take all of the fun out of climbing. The duo is confident that some element of surprise remains for climbers鈥攕uch as the virtual chainsaw projected onto the course that climbers have to avoid. And when someone falls, the systems detect that the ascent is over and automatically replay the climb on a nearby screen.聽
H盲m盲l盲inen and Kajastila tested a system with eight intermediate and experienced climbers; reviews varied from 鈥済ood training for unexpected moves,鈥 to 鈥渘ot very elegant climbing,鈥 according to their .
Sadly, you won鈥檛 be able to judge for yourself right away鈥 reports that the team is working to get a prototype up and running this fall.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=UNr3bxysSb0%3Frel%3D0