Crack climbing is hell on your ankles and painful on your feet, so focus on speed and continuous movement; stalling in an uncomfortable position is the worst.

The great leonopteryx swoops away, climbing with unbelievable speed, disappearing up into the sun.

"While prior climbing robots have focused on issues such as speed, adhering to the wall, and deciding how and where to move, ROCR is the first to focus on climbing efficiently," Provancher says.