Petzl Drill
A lightweight, efficient drill designed to ease the burden of route development and rope access jobs.
Timeline
10 weeks, 05.2025- 08.2025
Skills used
User Research
Concept Ideation
CAD Modeling
Product rendering
How can we make climbing routes safer?
Before a rock face can be climbed for the first time a person must develop the route. This means checking for loose rock, seeing where the best climbable line is and, in many cases, drilling bolts into the wall.
This involves hauling a drill up the route with minimal protection. Climbers will often simply sling the drill to their harness, allowing it to dangle around creating a hazard. Other will sling it over their shoulder but in order to drill they have to completely detach the drill from their person, meaning it could free fall the the ground.
There needs to be a safer solution.
This involves hauling a drill up the route with minimal protection. Climbers will often simply sling the drill to their harness, allowing it to dangle around creating a hazard. Other will sling it over their shoulder but in order to drill they have to completely detach the drill from their person, meaning it could free fall the the ground.
Project goal
Design a drill that better meets the needs of climbers and rope access workers by creating a safer way to attach the drill to their person.
Common attachment points
In-Hand analysis
Quick and loose sketching focused on overall form and functionality.
Analytical Sketching
Drill cover
A protective bit cover is added to reduce the risk of the drill bit poking the user when stored on their harness.
Lanyard System
An internal cable reel is loaded with 8 feet of 1/4in steel
cable. The reel is spring loaded so that when the user is not actively drilling the cable coils itself back into place.
Additional Components
A look into the future
This project presents a safe solution to a previously treacherous task. I feel this technology could be developed into a safety system compatible across numerous drill platforms.
