on May 21st, 2006Crutch Design - Breaking a Leg for Innovation
Credit: One & Co.
Design today plays a vital role in enhancing the quality of our daily living experience. Even something as simple as a crutch can be re-designed with an eye toward better functionality combined with a more personal sense of aesthetics.
Business Week asked several design firms to re-imagine crutch design taking into account the user’s experience from both a health and a look-and-feel point of view. Check out the results.
As currently designed, crutches require twice as much energy to maneuver as normal walking. A team of mechanical engineers at Stanford who have studied the problem say that users of under-arm crutches are essentially doing a push-up with every step. Moreover, under-arm crutches can actually cause injury through repetitive stress on the hands, wrists, and arms. These crutches can also damage the Brachial Plexus, the network of nerves that control the muscles of the shoulder and arm.
A Leg Up for Crutch Design
By Jessie Scanlon
Business Week, March 23, 2006
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