Laser tracker replays competitive rock wall climbs
Instructables user [PenfoldPlant] is a big fan of indoor rock
climbing, and while watching others make difficult climbs, he
has often wondered if he could follow the same route up the
wall. Unfortunately, aside from watching the other climbers and
hoping to remember the path they have taken, he found there
isn’t much you can do to ensure that you have precisely
replicated the climb.  He thought awhile and came up with a
laser tracking system that can be used to record a climber’s
ascent, then replay it any number of times. This allows climbers
to be able to replicate other climbers’ paths as well as compete
against one another in timed races.  This works much like the
“ghost” feature found in most racing games, though the process
is half manual/half automated. The initial ascent is recorded by
manually tracing the climber’s route with a laser pointer as
they climb. The path is recorded and then can be replayed,
courtesy of the onboard Arduino.  It really is