I've always thought it would be fun to somehow incorporate technology into climbing for tracking or otherwise augmenting the experience.
Time trials sound like a quick avenue to painful injury, though. If I were a gym, I'd be cautious in encouraging it. In my experience, climbing prowess is not a matter of speed but control -- the more statically you can complete a route the more control you demonstrate. A friend of mine once said his goal is to complete a route as silently as possible, avoiding accidental scuffs of his shoes or knocking of his knuckles on the wall. This is actually a great measure of control, too.
Time trials sound like a quick avenue to painful injury, though. If I were a gym, I'd be cautious in encouraging it. In my experience, climbing prowess is not a matter of speed but control -- the more statically you can complete a route the more control you demonstrate. A friend of mine once said his goal is to complete a route as silently as possible, avoiding accidental scuffs of his shoes or knocking of his knuckles on the wall. This is actually a great measure of control, too.