Emily Whiting and Ladislav Kavan, both assistant professors of computer science, met when they were studying abroad in Switzerland. They quickly became friends and climbing partners. In August 2015, after both completing their PhDs, the pair reconnected at Dartmouth College and decided to venture deeper into 3-D fabrication. By last year, they had devised a method of producing hyperrealistic indoor replicas of actual rock routes down to the crystal, reports Outside.
“What we’re trying to do is use typical 3-D printers, small amounts of material, and do it fast,” Whiting says. They are using a “much more accessible, practical approach” than has been used in the past.
Indoor rock walls hardly compare to the real thing. The friction, texture and shape of indoor holds do not accurately account for a real rock wall. But the technology Whiting and Kavan devised figured out a way around that. They have a climber rappel down the rock wall and take hundreds of pictures from different viewpoints. The scientists also record a video of a climber going up the route. Then they submit the images to a program called AgiSoft Photoscan, which renders a 3-D digital reconstruction of the rock wall. Whiting and Kavan then analyze the video to identify the key rock features necessary for the ascent, and those are singled out to be cast into climbing holds using 3D-printed molds machined by a CNC mill. The new holds can put on the wall of a climbing gym at the exact angles and distances of the outdoor route.
Kavan thinks this technology can transform industries that rely on environmental reconstruction. She told Outside that it could be used at sites that are difficult or dangerous to access, like historical sites, cave paintings, fragile ancient artifacts, and even crime scenes.
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