Suction Cup 2.0

February 15, 2014 12:26 PM

Personnel Vacuum Assisted Climber
posted by ActingTheGoat (25 comments total)

It's rare to find something that totally sucks and thus works as intended.
posted by ReeMonster at 12:34 PM on February 15, 2014 [4 favorites]

"Hellooo, Human Fly here. Come on, I spent all night taking the vacuum cleaner apart!”
posted by lagomorphius at 12:38 PM on February 15, 2014 [3 favorites]

Obviously the PVAC is designed for those military missions where near zero stealth and speed is required.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 12:39 PM on February 15, 2014 [9 favorites]

That is a rather smooth brick wall. I wonder if it would work with brick faces a bit less polished than that.
posted by srboisvert at 12:42 PM on February 15, 2014

Eh, it doesn't work well 'till you do it without being belayed.

(It's cool though)
posted by entropone at 12:51 PM on February 15, 2014

Soon to be followed by the Gravity Assisted Plummet.
posted by arcticseal at 1:04 PM on February 15, 2014

More like ActingTheMountainGoat, am I eponysterical?
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:09 PM on February 15, 2014 [1 favorite]

Doot de doo, climbing up this wall-OH GOD WAS THAT A QUARTER SHIT SHIT
posted by xedrik at 1:10 PM on February 15, 2014 [2 favorites]

The typos is in the original, and it's driving me crazy. Is it only for personnel?
posted by anotherpanacea at 1:23 PM on February 15, 2014

Wow, Presurfer. Whoa.
posted by Wolfdog at 1:29 PM on February 15, 2014

The typos is in the original, and it's driving me crazy. Is it only for personnel?

Maybe "personnel" refers to the people at the top pulling the rope?
posted by Sys Rq at 1:29 PM on February 15, 2014

The typos is in the original, and it's driving me crazy. Is it only for personnel?

That bothered me too, so I checked. It was built for the Air Force Research Laboratory Design Challenge, so I think that personnel was a deliberate choice.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 1:52 PM on February 15, 2014

It was built for the Air Force Research Laboratory Design Challenge

Sorry, link
posted by ActingTheGoat at 2:04 PM on February 15, 2014

Maybe "personnel" refers to the people at the top pulling the rope?

I thought he might be getting pulled up, and watched it again. The rope clearly goes slack for a moment with each step. He's not being hauled up; he's climbing.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 2:11 PM on February 15, 2014

What's going on with his shoes / foot braces? I don't think he's pulling himself up with his arms; that'd take monster strength and anyway his arm and hand position doesn't seem designed for doing pull-ups. So he's ascending with his legs, like a traditional climber? But then those shoes keep bouncing and sliding around.
posted by Nelson at 2:30 PM on February 15, 2014

It looks like his feet are tethered to the plates. Notice how he raises right plate/right foot, then left plate/left foot. So he's probably ascending with his legs, yes, but not by finding footholds in the wall; he's pushing against the tether tied to the vacuum plate.
posted by xedrik at 2:48 PM on February 15, 2014 [3 favorites]

Oh, duh, that's obvious when you look for it. Thanks!
posted by Nelson at 3:14 PM on February 15, 2014

AND IT'S REALLY QUIET, TOO!
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 3:23 PM on February 15, 2014

Ok, I am way more impressed by the foot tethering then I am by the vacuum. That is some nice lateral thinking.
posted by Bovine Love at 4:02 PM on February 15, 2014

Wait a minute those are high heels he is wearing..

It's just a jump to the left.
And then a step to the right.
With your hands on your hips.
You bring you knees in tight.
But it's the pelvic thrust...
That really drives you insane
Let's do the timewarp PVAC again.
posted by Lanark at 4:10 PM on February 15, 2014

Foot tethering is pretty much standard for using ascenders.
posted by JohnnyB at 4:21 PM on February 15, 2014

Bah, now you've gone off and ruined my sense of wonder. Heh. Pretty cool, actually, and pretty slick.
posted by Bovine Love at 4:24 PM on February 15, 2014

Apparently stilettos are necessary for this. That's cool I guess
posted by oceanjesse at 5:48 PM on February 15, 2014

I had a TOTALLY different idea of what a "personal vacuum" would be, and what else it could be used for...
posted by Evilspork at 10:14 PM on February 15, 2014 [1 favorite]

The article says that the device allows people to ascend a 90-degree face much like Spider-Man would, but I'm pretty sure that is closer to how Batman would do it.
posted by swellingitchingbrain at 6:52 AM on February 16, 2014 [1 favorite]