Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Gone Climbin'

I've been going to climbing gyms since I was a young guy ... and they were always fun. However, once you've actually climbed real rocks - the gym doesn't compare. Essentially, Climbing Gyms are modernist nightmares with boltholes for attaching what resembles a robust chunk of dry paint. These indoor gyms are fun - but only because the real cliffs aren't around. Too bad we can't have real rock.

Enter - large scale 3D printing...

Use simple 3D sculpting software, maybe use some randomized filters and 'aging' to create the appearance of 'real' rock, and we have a climbing wall! Well, technically a pillar....but it is what it is. By printing out a design like mine below, we can have something closer to the real experience of rock climbing. When you think about it, large format printing like the DShape is just accelerated sedimentation - yet we can control it.

I am clueless to what makes a 'perfect' wall for climbers, but I'm certain lots of them would love to work these sort of walls.