[Moo]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30119330

Ok so I'm thinking what if this sort of technology becomes viable to be used on rock shoes or even sticky climbing gloves?

We've been striving for stickier rubber, better shoes, more effective chalk etc for years so where do we draw the line?

[Jaspersharpe]

What's he standing on?

[tomtom]

What's he standing on?

A ladder...



looks like its only gloves so far.. nothing like some partial outcomes to spawn a press release and media frenzy....

[andyd]

They look like et's attached to the sticky pads that he's stood in, although you could be forgiven for thinking he's stood on a ladder.
Can't see this being embraced by the climbing community any more than electric bikes by the cycling community

[tomtom]

THey'd be perfect on knee pads!

[Oldmanmatt]

Dry tooling!

[SA Chris]

Looks like they will only work on a smooth flat shiny surface.

So slate only then. Or Avon Gorge.

[andyd]

THey'd be perfect on knee pads!

They'd have to be careful here. I imagine that this would be quite controversial on certain forums...but what do I know?

[tomtom]

THey'd be perfect on knee pads!

They'd have to be careful here. I imagine that this would be quite controversial on certain forums...but what do I know?

Ooh gosh. I didn't mean to be controversial;)

[Moo]

I'm liking your electric bikes analogy tomtom, but did anyone else give dry tooling even less credence after they banned heel spurs?

say somone invented a rock boot rubber that stuck like glue but was releasable ( similar to these gloves ) would it be fair game?

[lagerstarfish]

as long as it didn't damage the rock

footless antics would still be where the cool kids are

[Wood FT]

I  think if the technology was viable for boot rubber it would be accepted and change the standard for certain types of climbing. Just as it has done before. As for wearing actual gloves, gut reaction is nah fuk dat but what if they put it on those jamming gloves people make/buy 

[tomtom]

For shoes it would mean polished limestone would be the dogs whatsits... Oh joy.

[sidewinder]

I think the problem is not in making things sticky but in stopping things from sticking. With something sticky if your surface is not smooth/clean you just pick up dust/dirt which then stays stuck and reduces the stickiness.  Therefore you would want some sort of controllable stickiness which you could turn off between contacts, probably pretty hard.

[i.munro]

So 700N from 140 sq cm is 5N/cm2.
1000 sq cm to hold a fall that's a 32cm sq patch. 

That should be portable. 

[tomtom]

Glass roads and gecko tyres...