A silicon-cast device that aids in securing rope ends by ensuring a figure-eight knot is tied for use in gym and rock climbing
Name
311867853-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
10.8 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
300b8e983c0f7c8843052c20f41d9089
Author(s)
Treadway, Shane M
Advisor(s)
Alex Slocum.
Date Issued
2008
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Between the years of 1953 and 2005, there were 253 fatalities from rappel failure/error. Some of these deaths may have been prevented if a stopper knot was tied at the end of the rope. Current climbing habits do not reinforce the tying of a stopper knot. More people are learning to climb in the gym and do not know risk reducing habits when beginning to climb outside, such as tying a stopper knot. The Hedgehog is a silicon device that reinforces the risk reducing habit of tying a stopper knot by a combination of form and color. A specially designed form aids in correct knot tying and the color signals the climber their attention is needed. When the Hedgehog was given to climbers in a climbing gym and had a success rate of 70%. Climbers without the Hedgehog had a success rate of only 8%. Success was defined as having a stopper knot in the rope when the climber began to ascend the route.
Description
Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2008.
Includes bibliographical references (leaf 20).
Subjects
Mechanical Engineering.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
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