When an Industrial Designer Breaks His Foot, We All Get Better Crutches

Jeff Weber, an industrial designer, broke one of his heels in 2005. He found the crutches that he used while recuperating inadequate, so designed new ones:

His new crutch would employ an articulated mesh saddle that remained parallel to the armpit even as the angle of the column changed with the gait of the user. The column itself would curve away from the hip, so walkers could avoid angling the crutches outward into a chest-pincering pyramid. The grips would be shaped individually for each hand. (“For some reason we have ‘handed’ shoes, but not crutches,” Weber notes.) The feet would be rounded, so they could roll forward with each step. And the entire structure would use only 58 percent as much aluminum as regular crutches, making them far lighter.

Link | Photo: Popular Science