[Kevin Sevcik]

That's certainly an exciting way to climb. If you guys pull that off I think it means I lose a bet with a former student. In furtherance of this:

1. Are you guys sure you're making a valid climb? It looks like you come awfully close to touching the second level while you're still touching the floor.
2. Remember you'll be doing this from across the playing field. Lining up and making those motions may be challenging.

You've definitely discovered the downside of using gravity and leverage to grab something. How hard is it to release that bottom claw? Could you maybe attach a short stroke 2" bore pneumatic cylinder underneath the arm to shove against the pyramid diagonal and push the bottom claw away? A 2" bore has 180 lbs of push at 60psi. Or a 2.5" bore cylinder with 300 lbs of push. Bimba will sell you a 2.5" bore, 3" stroke cylinder for $90 each and ship it the same day.