Design for our Future Selves Competition 2001
 

Guy Robinson / Industrial Design Engineering

> life supports

1st prize in the care category
 

Crutches are designed to support independent mobility but their traditional design can cause joint, shoulder, nerve and lower back problems to long term users. The aesthetic styling of this radical redesign of the standard crutch places it firmly within contemporary sports culture and removes its stigma as a medical prosthesis. Current sports technology has been incorporated to improve usability - the handle is designed to shift pressure from the centre of the hand; elastometric suspension at the tip reduces shock loading while the curved stem and suspended woven mesh interface up the forearm redistributes pressure and avoids damage to the ulna nerve.

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