Project Description:
Grip strength, specifically in the fingers, is crucial for rock climbers, but developing that strength solely through climbing is expensive, time-consuming, and impractical. Rock climbers need a way to strengthen their fingers outside of the climbing environment, just as other athletes train sport-specific muscles with weights rather than playing the sport. There are several different types of grip strength trainers on the market, but the vast majority of them focus on building concentric strength. Concentric strength is a muscle’s ability to contract and exert force on a load. Eccentric strength, however, is a muscle’s ability to resist movement under a load. Training eccentric strength is more useful for rock climbers, but the training tools currently available to do so are impractical. The goal of this project is to develop an electromechanical device that allows rock climbers to develop eccentric grip strength effectively while being portable and customizable to their needs. The product is a handheld device that uses a NEMA 23 stepper motor and a lead screw mechanism to apply a load against the user’s fingers, which they attempt to resist. It is controlled by an Arduino microcontroller and allows the user to input their desired resistance level. It also features an interchangeable finger hold system, allowing the user to choose from several grips of different sizes.
