MACLoC is the acronym for Multi-Axis Climbing Load Cells for performance analysis in sport climbing, a team of researchers and students from Turin and Milan Polytechnic Universities. MACLoC aimed to gather insights into the mechanics of climbing in order to provide athletes with detailed feedback on their training progress and the technique being used. Force measurement on the holds needed to be accurate regardless of the force application point.
Together with HBK, the project group developed the prototype for a new type of “intelligent” climbing wall, which has been registered with the European Patent Office. Combining multi-axis force transducers and a QuantumX data acquisition system, the wall provides climbers with real-time information on their contact forces and the center of their mass. These valuable insights into the mechanics of climbing allow rapid technical improvements in a highly complex and growing field of sports.