Assisted auto belays: CAMI, ProONE and eClimber

Illustration: CAMI, ProONE Top Rope und eClimber, je oben an einer Kletterwand mit kletternder Person, rechts jeweils das Gerät vergrössert

A classic auto belay, such as TRUBLUE by Head Rush or the devices by Perfect Descent, takes in the rope while you climb and then lowers you slowly. But you still have to climb on your own, with your full body weight.

Today there are devices that do more: while you climb, they take off an adjustable part of your body weight, much like an e-bike. This makes climbing inclusive: the wall opens up to many people for whom it was unimaginable before, whether in therapy, with a disability, in later life or just starting out.

We are convinced: assisted climbing is the future. We already know of three providers, and the topic is here to stay. With this article we simply want to show what already exists. With the eClimber we are developing one of these devices ourselves and hope to stay in the game. Either way, someone will make it, and everyone who could not climb until now will benefit. All data comes from the manufacturers’ websites and documents (as of 4 November 2026).

What is an assisted auto belay?

An assisted auto belay is a self-belay device for top-rope climbing with a motor. The motor pulls on the rope and so relieves the climber of a chosen share of their weight. Like a normal auto belay, the device also belays the climber and lowers them at the top.

CAMI by MBS Industry (Colmar, France)

MBS Industry from France makes the motorised auto belay CAMI, part of the “Footing Vertical” programme. According to the manufacturer, it takes off up to 95% of body weight and can also be used as a normal auto belay without assistance. Even then, however, it needs power. It is designed for people with a body weight of 20 to 160 kg and can be installed up to 25 m high. As with many classic auto belays, a webbing strap is used instead of a rope. It is operated with a remote control on the strap or a web app.

The CAMI has two brakes that also work without power: a centrifugal brake and a magnetically preloaded brake that engages if the lowering speed is too high or the power supply fails. An additional battery keeps the device running during a power cut, so the brake does not have to step in straight away for lack of power.

The emergency stop is at the top of the device. Under EN ISO 13850, an emergency stop must be quickly reachable: how do staff reach it in an emergency?

On conformity, the manufacturer publishes a self-declaration as a class I medical device. The documents listed here do not show which independent safety tests have already been carried out. To our knowledge, certification with TÜV in Munich is currently under way. We very much welcome this.

We apply the same standard to ourselves: the type examination of the eClimber by Suva is still under way.

Manufacturer’s page: mbs-industry.com

ProONE Top Rope by ProGrade (Italy)

ProGrade is known for ProFIVE, an auto belay for lead climbing. With ProONE Top Rope, according to its website, ProGrade offers a top-rope auto belay with adjustable weight relief of up to 40 kg. Each climber selects their assistance on a display at the base of the wall. According to the manufacturer, the device suits walls up to 17 m. According to the manufacturer’s page, it is available from July 2026.

Manufacturer’s page: prograde.it

eClimber (Biel, Switzerland)

The eClimber was created at Bern University of Applied Sciences and is now developed and built in Switzerland as a spin-off. It hangs at the top of the wall like any auto belay and, in top-rope climbing, belays people up to 150 kg, up to 20 m climbing height. Before starting, you set how many kilos it should take off, continuously up to 100 kg.

The motor helps, the mechanics keep you safe: an integrated brake catches a fall purely mechanically. If the power fails, the brake holds and a spring keeps taking in the rope. The eClimber is designed to EN 18039:2026 for auto belays and EN 341:2011 class A. Type examination by Suva is still under way.

Installation needs no changes to the wall: the eClimber hangs from a single point on an existing auto belay mount and is easy to move to another route.

The systems at a glance

	CAMI	ProONE Top Rope	eClimber
Manufacturer	MBS Industry, France	ProGrade, Italy	eClimber, Switzerland
Assistance	up to 95% of body weight	up to 40 kg	up to 100 kg, continuous
Climber weight	20 to 160 kg	–	up to 150 kg
Operation	remote control on the strap or web app	display at the base of the wall	control panel
Climbing height	installation up to 25 m	up to 17 m	up to 20 m
Installation	bolted to the top of the wall	bolted to the top of the wall	single point on an existing auto belay mount, no changes, can be moved to other routes, installed by the gym itself
Power	normal 230 V socket, with battery	–	normal 230 V socket
Certification	class I medical device (EU 2017/745), manufacturer’s declaration of conformity	–	designed to EN 18039:2026 and EN 341:2011 class A, type examination by Suva under way
Purchase	approx. €36,000 (manufacturer’s figure, 2025)	–	€14,870 excl. VAT
Rent	€599 per month excl. VAT, 36 months	–	€220 per month excl. VAT, 36 months, insurance and service included
Rent per year	€7,188 excl. VAT	–	€2,640 excl. VAT

“–” means we have not yet found public information on this. We will update the comparison as soon as more recent information is available.

Questions for choosing a device

How much weight relief does our target group need? Our rule of thumb from practice: ideally, a device can take about 75 % of body weight.
Who can control the assistance: the climber, the staff or both?
Is there an emergency stop, where can it be reached and what does it trigger?
What happens in a power cut or a technical fault?
How can a person be rescued if the device gets stuck at height?
What does this mean for our rescue plan and for the intended target group?
Which independent tests have been completed for the intended use?
How much effort do installation, maintenance and moving to another route take?

The best way is to try the devices yourself. You can try the eClimber at locations in Europe or test it for two months in your gym: request a trial.

Assisted climbing: a medical device?

Assisted climbing opens up new possibilities for therapy. This raises a question for every provider: which medical device class does a motorised climbing device with a therapeutic intended purpose belong to, and which requirements follow from that?

The EU distinguishes between classes I, IIa, IIb and III. In class I, the manufacturer usually declares conformity itself. Even then, it must meet the applicable requirements and provide the corresponding evidence. From class IIa onwards, an independent notified body is also involved in the conformity assessment.

A look at related devices

A comparison does not require a complex therapy robot right away. Simpler devices also support movement or relieve body weight:

FLOAT by Reha-Stim: The system relieves an adjustable part of the body weight and secures people during movement exercises in the room. To our knowledge, it is classified as a class IIa medical device. Body weight relief and fall protection sound familiar to us, except that with the FLOAT you stay closer to the ground.
THERA-Trainer mobi: A compact pedal device for arms and legs that allows active, motor-assisted and passive training. The linked manufacturer data sheet states class IIa, still under the former Medical Device Directive 93/42/EEC (MDD).
Medical treadmills by h/p/cosmos: The models described there, quasar med and pulsar med with MCU6 for medical walking and running training, are classified as class IIb under the Medical Device Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (MDR).

So which class applies to climbing?

For us, these examples raise a legitimate question: how can class I be justified for a motorised auto belay with a medical and therapeutic intended purpose?

Similar functions do not automatically mean the same risk class. What matters is the specific intended purpose and the applicable classification rules. Rule 9 (Annex VIII) of the MDR is particularly relevant here: it generally assigns class IIa to active therapeutic devices intended to administer energy to or exchange energy with the body, and a higher class in the case of certain hazards.

Based on initial feedback from the notified body we contacted, class IIa could also apply to a therapeutic climbing device. This feedback is not yet a final assessment of a specific device. However, it reinforces our view that a class I classification should be critically questioned.

More than a number on the label

The class is not a matter of wishful thinking, and classification is only the beginning. Class IIa entails an extensive conformity assessment procedure with a notified body: from quality management, technical documentation, risk management and testing to clinical evaluation. In addition, there are the standards and evidence relevant to the specific device, for example on electrical safety, electromagnetic compatibility, software and usability. The requirements for the belay function in climbing must also be taken into account.

Based on our assessment so far, we expect the total effort to reach a mid six-figure sum, around half a million. That does not make the device a single kilo lighter, but development and market launch become considerably more expensive. The independent assessment and the required evidence still have their value.

Anyone who initially assumes class I and later has to complete the class IIa procedure, including additional testing, therefore faces far more than a correction on the label. Devices already on the market can also be affected: depending on the authorities' assessment, restrictions up to and including withdrawal from the market may follow. This can also affect facilities that have purchased a device, for example if it may temporarily or permanently no longer be used for its intended medical purpose.

What does this mean for our offering?

With the CAMI by MBS Industry from France, there is already an assisted auto belay offered as a class I medical device. Based on our investigations so far, however, we consider class IIa necessary for such a device with a therapeutic intended purpose. We simply cannot afford the total effort involved at present. That is why we do not currently offer the eClimber as a medical device.

If you need a medical device for your facility and have no concerns about the class I classification of the CAMI, MBS Industry already offers an option. We view this classification critically and want to disclose our assessment, even if this means referring you to a competitor's offering.

If we are wrong, we would be very glad to be corrected. If class I is a sound classification for such a device, we would gladly offer the eClimber as a class I medical device as well. We welcome your input: info@eclimber.ch.

Note

This article was written by the eClimber team, so by one of the manufacturers named. The data on the other devices comes from their websites and may change. We keep this overview up to date. Have we missed something, do you know another device, or has something changed? We’d love to hear from you: info@eclimber.ch.