Preliminary Study: Development of Sport Climbing Hold Measurement System for Performance Analysis

Abstract

Sport climbing performance analysis requires knowledge of the specific motions and the interactions of the athlete with the climbing holds. The objective of this research is to develop a low-cost measurement system for detecting performance parameters with an instrument mounting screw used with a climbing hold. In the preliminary study, strain gauges were bonded to the shank of a screw and analyzed according to bending theory. For the experimental results, a climbing hold was mounted to a provisional wall with an instrumented mounting screw. The system was able to detect loads at increments of 2 kg applied to the climbing hold with accuracy and repeatability. Testing of loading when applied laterally from the center of the climbing hold showed that the alignment of the strain gauge and location of applied loads are important. The measurement system was capable of identifying the total contact time and time for each application of loads more than 1 kg. Results showed an instrumented mounting screw can be used for monitoring the climber’s fluency during climbing and provide information about load distribution between climbing holds during their ascent.