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As a rock climber who frequently hangs around a popular indoor climbing wall, I spend a lot of time watching other people climbing tricky routes and wondering, "Could I do that in the same way?"
Almost inevitably, when I try to climb the same route I'll forget exactly what sequence of holds they used and end up following a slightly different path. Even when I remember exactly which course to follow, I'll still wonder whether I'm doing it as quickly as the previous climber. Yes, I know that skill in climbing isn't all about speed, but I'm competitive like that.
That's how I decided to make a device that could record the precise route a climber follows when climbing a wall or a rock face, then play it back in such a way that another climber could follow it while climbing and, if they felt so inclined, race against it. This concept will no doubt be familiar to anyone else who grew up playing Mario Kart's time trial mode: it is a ghost.
In an ideal world, a ghost climber would be a 3D holographic recording of a climber that would then eerily haunt the rock face, replaying the climber's exact body motions and speed of progress. In our less-than-ideal world, a ghost climber can be created by accurately tracing and replaying a specific climbing route using a servomotor-controlled laser turret. That's right: in this situation a motorised laser turret is the simple solution.
Here's the finished device in action:
And here's what it looks like while it's working its magic:
My ghost climber device, nicknamed The Redpointer*, can be used in the following situations:
*This is climbing humour. I'm very sorry.
Almost inevitably, when I try to climb the same route I'll forget exactly what sequence of holds they used and end up following a slightly different path. Even when I remember exactly which course to follow, I'll still wonder whether I'm doing it as quickly as the previous climber. Yes, I know that skill in climbing isn't all about speed, but I'm competitive like that.
That's how I decided to make a device that could record the precise route a climber follows when climbing a wall or a rock face, then play it back in such a way that another climber could follow it while climbing and, if they felt so inclined, race against it. This concept will no doubt be familiar to anyone else who grew up playing Mario Kart's time trial mode: it is a ghost.
In an ideal world, a ghost climber would be a 3D holographic recording of a climber that would then eerily haunt the rock face, replaying the climber's exact body motions and speed of progress. In our less-than-ideal world, a ghost climber can be created by accurately tracing and replaying a specific climbing route using a servomotor-controlled laser turret. That's right: in this situation a motorised laser turret is the simple solution.
Here's the finished device in action:
And here's what it looks like while it's working its magic:
My ghost climber device, nicknamed The Redpointer*, can be used in the following situations:
- In training, for a single climber to try to beat his/her own personal best and view where on the route he/she was fastest and slowest.
- In competitions, so that multiple climbers can race consecutively on the same route. This is considerably easier to arrange than creating two identical climbing routes side-by-side. It also has the advantage that it is portable enough to be set up outdoors on rock faces that cannot be duplicated.
- In social climbing, to illustrate a long or complex route to a second climber without requiring the second climber to memorise it before climbing.
- Any other scenario in which you wish to record and replay a path to be followed by a laser pointer. I'm not suggesting setting up illegal underground cat-racing circuits, but I can't promise that someone else won't try it...
*This is climbing humour. I'm very sorry.
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Signing UpStep 1Design brief
I designed The Redpointer to have three modes:
Mode 1 - Record
In this mode, someone on the ground uses a laser pointer to trace out a path up a climbing wall.
E.g. Climber A ascends a route while Climber B stays on the ground and tracks Climber A's progress with the laser pointer. The Redpointer then records exactly what route was followed.
Mode 2 - Playback
Here, the route recorded in Mode 1 is played back in real-time, projecting a laser point onto the climbing wall to illustrate the path of the previous climber as a "ghost".
E.g. Climber C now turns up late to the climbing session. Climbers A, B and C all stand back and watch the laser turret replay the route Climber A took when recording in Mode 1. Climber C now knows where to climb if she wants to imitate A.
Mode 3 - Playback, record and compare
This mode is a combination of modes 1 and 2 and is designed specifically for competing against a previously set route. Once a route has been recorded in Mode 1, another climber can race against it in Mode 3 and be given live feedback saying whether he/she is ahead of or behind the pace set in the recording.
E.g. Climber C now climbs the same route as Climber A, while Climber B uses one laser pointer to track C's progress. Meanwhile a separate laser pointer illustrates A's ghost on the same wall so that C can tell if she is winning or losing the race. Every time C overtakes A's ghost or is overtaken by A's ghost, a buzzer sounds. At the end of the route, The Redpointer indicates whether A or C won the race.
Mode 1 - Record
In this mode, someone on the ground uses a laser pointer to trace out a path up a climbing wall.
E.g. Climber A ascends a route while Climber B stays on the ground and tracks Climber A's progress with the laser pointer. The Redpointer then records exactly what route was followed.
Mode 2 - Playback
Here, the route recorded in Mode 1 is played back in real-time, projecting a laser point onto the climbing wall to illustrate the path of the previous climber as a "ghost".
E.g. Climber C now turns up late to the climbing session. Climbers A, B and C all stand back and watch the laser turret replay the route Climber A took when recording in Mode 1. Climber C now knows where to climb if she wants to imitate A.
Mode 3 - Playback, record and compare
This mode is a combination of modes 1 and 2 and is designed specifically for competing against a previously set route. Once a route has been recorded in Mode 1, another climber can race against it in Mode 3 and be given live feedback saying whether he/she is ahead of or behind the pace set in the recording.
E.g. Climber C now climbs the same route as Climber A, while Climber B uses one laser pointer to track C's progress. Meanwhile a separate laser pointer illustrates A's ghost on the same wall so that C can tell if she is winning or losing the race. Every time C overtakes A's ghost or is overtaken by A's ghost, a buzzer sounds. At the end of the route, The Redpointer indicates whether A or C won the race.
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sometimes it shows error .But Idea is brilliant
I've just been browsing through your Instructable project history and now I'm absolutely starving...
keep your base & manual tracking laser, but for the output laser use the arduino controlled laser instead of the servo controlled laser. The reason for this is that it would be capable of drawing the line the entire section of the track so fast that it would blur into one continues line. Rather then following a dot, you would have the whole track layed out for you in one glorious laser line. It would be tricky for sure, but I think you could do it. :D
My second thought, very soon after the first, was, "Oooooooooooooh..."
I like this idea a lot. Maybe I wouldn't have it replace the main current servo turret (as that would still let you see where your ghost is), but it would certainly be cool to have it simultaneously plotting a curved path on the wall.
Thanks for the idea!
Another suggestion:
Try to add a "auto-follow", so that no one has to track the route. You could e.g. work with a pulsed IR-beam (like remote control) and serveral sensors in different directions.
As a climber I don't get the point.
It can also be used to map out a route on an unmarked wall or rock face where there could be multiple possible approaches.
Way to go ! I enjoy it when a unique Ible like this is presented in the way you did it. There is mechanical , electronics , coding and a well layed out tutorial.
Awesome!
Build_it_Bob
Feel free to contact me about any questions you might have with the code. Cheers!
I don´t know how viable it is, but I was thinking that if you manage to move the laser light fast enough you may be following a line rather than a dot. Maybe moving a small mirror instead of the laser itself.
Also I don´t know about the "annoying " factor of such line.
There is a lot of learning for a Jr ( wanna be coder ) like me in what you have written. Commenting is great as well.
Many thanks !
Build_it_Bob
Good luck in the contest.
The videos are now also visible on the Intro page.
I considered the video projector idea too, but I think it would be a nightmare to set up on a large climbing wall or one that isn't perfectly straight. A lot of climbing walls have very complex surfaces with overhangs and wobbly-looking bits that would require constant adjustment and refocusing of the camera/projector. Not to say it's impossible, of course, just a bit trickier... :-D
I think we'd be talking about a considerably beefier and less portable bit of kit. One day, though. One day.