Measurement of the coefficient of friction and the centre of pressure of a curved surface of a climbing handhold

A smart climbing hold with variable inclination of the grip surface was developed, instrumented with two triaxial force transducers. The inclination of the cylindrical grip surface was varied by adding 10 mm panels to the wall, thereby confining the surface to larger inclinations. The difficulty of gripping the hold with variable surface inclination was reflected in the vertical and horizontal forces, which decreased as the inclination increased, and in the increasing angle of the average force vector.