Boulderball ᱪᱤᱠᱟᱹᱱ ᱦᱟᱹᱛᱤᱭᱟᱹᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱠᱷᱮᱞ by Martin Oberhauser

Boulderball ᱪᱤᱠᱟᱹᱱ ᱦᱟᱹᱛᱤᱭᱟᱹᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱠᱷᱮᱞ by Martin Oberhauser is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ in ᱠᱷᱮᱞᱢᱟ, ᱠᱷᱮᱞ ᱟᱨ ᱥᱚᱠ ᱩᱛᱯᱟᱫ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ Competition Category.

ᱞᱚᱦᱟᱠᱷᱮᱞᱢᱟ· 2024

Boulderball ᱪᱤᱠᱟᱹᱱ ᱦᱟᱹᱛᱤᱭᱟᱹᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱠᱷᱮᱞ

by Martin Oberhauser

Client: Boulderball

A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ Winner in ᱠᱷᱮᱞᱢᱟ Category

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Colors

The Design

About Boulderball ᱪᱤᱠᱟᱹᱱ ᱦᱟᱹᱛᱤᱭᱟᱹᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱠᱷᱮᱞ

ᱫᱷᱟᱹᱨᱛᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱡᱚᱛᱚ ᱠᱷᱚᱱ ᱦᱩᱰᱤᱧ ᱵᱚᱞᱰᱚᱨᱤᱝ ᱰᱤᱭᱟᱹᱞ᱾ ᱵᱚᱞᱰᱚᱨᱵᱚᱞ ᱫᱚ ᱯᱟᱹᱦᱤᱞ ᱡᱚᱯᱚᱲᱟᱣ ᱪᱤᱠᱟᱹᱱ ᱦᱟᱹᱛᱤᱭᱟᱹᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱠᱷᱮᱞ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱷᱟᱥ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱯᱟᱹᱨᱤᱡ ᱦᱚᱲ, ᱛᱤᱞᱤ ᱞᱟᱹᱠᱛᱤ ᱪᱤᱠᱟᱹᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱯᱟᱹᱨᱤᱡ ᱛᱚᱠᱱᱤᱠ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱯᱟᱹᱨᱤᱡ ᱦᱚᱲ ᱠᱚ ᱠᱷᱚᱱ ᱩᱫᱩᱜ ᱦᱟᱛᱟᱣ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ, ᱵᱚᱞᱰᱚᱨᱵᱚᱞ ᱫᱚ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱥᱚᱨᱮᱥ ᱯᱟᱹᱨᱤᱡ-ᱪᱤᱠᱟᱹᱱ ᱦᱟᱹᱛᱤᱭᱟᱹᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱯᱟᱹᱨᱤᱡ ᱦᱚᱲ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱠᱷᱮᱞᱚᱸᱰ ᱠᱷᱮᱞ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱦᱩᱰᱤᱧ ᱵᱚᱞ ᱨᱮ ᱫᱚᱦᱚ ᱟᱠᱟᱫᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱫᱚ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸᱨᱮᱦᱚᱸ ᱥᱟᱶᱛᱮ ᱤᱫᱤ ᱜᱟᱱᱚᱜ-ᱟ᱾ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱱᱟᱶᱟ ᱡᱚᱲᱟᱣ ᱯᱚᱨᱛᱚᱱ (ᱯᱞᱚᱜ ᱟᱨ ᱯᱞᱮ) ᱰᱟᱦᱟᱨ ᱛᱮ ᱯᱟᱹᱨᱤᱡ ᱫᱚᱦᱚ ᱡᱟᱭᱜᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱜᱚᱲᱦᱚᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚᱦᱚ ᱫᱚᱦᱚᱭᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱢᱩᱬᱩᱛ ᱜᱚᱲᱦᱚᱱ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱡᱚᱲᱟᱣ ᱡᱟᱭᱜᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱮᱢᱟ᱾

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ

Boulderball ᱪᱤᱠᱟᱹᱱ ᱦᱟᱹᱛᱤᱭᱟᱹᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱠᱷᱮᱞ ᱫᱚ A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱧᱟᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱥᱚᱢᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱠᱟᱢᱤ ᱡᱷᱟᱞᱠᱟᱣ ᱠᱚ᱾ Boulderball ᱪᱤᱠᱟᱹᱱ ᱦᱟᱹᱛᱤᱭᱟᱹᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱠᱷᱮᱞ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ, ᱣᱤᱜᱭᱟᱱ, ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱤᱢᱟ ᱵᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱩᱱᱤᱭᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱜᱚᱲᱚ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The smallest bouldering wall in the world

Boulderball, the first combined training tool and game specifically made for climbers, finger-strength training and climbing technique.
Inspired by climbers, the Boulderball packs an ideal climb-training tool and fidgeting game for climbers into a small ball that can be brought along everywhere.
Dimensions & Packaging: 110 mm x 110 mm x 110 mm
Tags: game, training tool, boulderball, studiooberhauser, climb
Production Technology: Injection molding made in Italy.

The primary structure consists solely of a uniform element held together by the handles.

The Boulderball is made of the probably most versatile plastic on the market due to its heat resistance and moisture and chemical barriers. It is a product growing in recyclable popularity and can be recycled to create hard-wearing plastic materials such as bins, handles, cases etc.
Design Challenge: The difficulty was finding a design that would reduce production costs, enabling the product to be manufactured in Italy.
Research: Boulderball is a strategic and cognitive game derived from bouldering training, aimed at improving mental acuity and physical dexterity. Developed by experts in sports science and cognitive science, this game uniquely combines physical engagement with cognitive challenges to enhance creativity, concentration, and finger grip strength. Manufactured in Italy, its innovative design allows for cost-effective production without compromising quality. The game has undergone extensive testing with both world-class climbing athletes and children, demonstrating its versatility and effectiveness in training across all ages. Boulderball's compact and portable nature makes it an ideal tool for climbers of all levels, facilitating an accessible and engaging approach to climbing training.
Inspiration: Bouldering is not just about physical strength; it requires the creativity to identify the shortest route, the strength to keep fingers on the holds, and the concentration to focus on the fingertips of both hands and feet. These are skills necessary not just for bouldering but for people of all ages, though daily training is needed to develop them.
The rules of Boulderball are simple: use up to three fingers to move the ball to the designated hold parts without dropping it. The surface of Boulderball features variously sized and textured hold parts designed to be supported just with fingertips, mimicking the sensation of actual bouldering. A significant level of fingertip strength is required, as well as a sophisticated balance sense. Like bouldering, the tension remains high until the goal is reached because a small mistake can cause the ball to fall.
The round structure of the Boulderball is the canvas for eight different climbing routes, specifically designed for different skill levels and climbing techniques. The routes on the Boulderball are all color coded and match a set of playing cards which serve as guides for the game. The playing cards are inspired by the greatest climbing routes on the world's most difficult peaks. The cards set your next steps and can be used to challenge yourself or your friends, teaching you new handgrips.
Project Duration: The project started in Bolzano in 2022 and finished in Bolzano in 2023.
Operation Flow: Boulderball teaches you problem solving.

The playing cards are inspired by the greatest climbing routes on the world's most difficult peaks. The cards set your next steps and can be used to challenge yourself or your friends, teaching you new handgrips and problem solving. Different climbing holds of different shapes and sizes guide you through the route to the end point. Strength, conditioning and finger-technique can thus be trained on the go, whether at home, in the office, at school or as warm-up before a climbing session.
With Boulderball, for the first time ever, climbers are enabled to closely observe and analyze finger-technique, positioning and efficiency through a small, lightweight and super portable climbing gadget.
Just throw it into your backpack and use it to boulder it all, with the Boulderball.
Image Credits: Image #1: ©studiooberhauser, Image #2: ©boulderball, Image #3: ©studiooberhauser, Image #4: ©studiooberhauser, Image #5:©Lukas Kahn