h a l f b a k e r yMay contain nuts.
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Taking another page from Theo Jansen's work, (hey, you have to admit the guy is on to something) [link2], it should be possible to build forearm crutches which use the leverage of pantographs to allow folks needing crutches for mobility the option of being able to walk not only hands free but, if they
possess the upper body strength, to bend and raise again while holding, oh say, their child or something.
Attaching loosely to forearm and bicep these crutches would look similar to todays forearm crutches but would also have an armpit support. Bending the elbow would cause these extended crutches to contract for stooping while the armpit supports would keep the crutches aligned for hands free carrying and retrieval of fallen objects from the ground.
Kudos where kudos is due.
Clutches_20for_20Crutches [2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 24 2011]
Animation of mechanism minus two struts... maybe three
http://www.youtube....watch?v=CufN43By79s [2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 24 2011]
[link]
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Would that it were. I griped about the same thing to my
mom, and proposed the same idea (minus the retracting
for bending over bit; genius). She then explained to me
exactly why the shoulders can't handle weight supported by
the forearms alone for extended periods. This being
several weeks ago, I have forgotten all of the specific
medicalese details, but I'm sure there's another 'Baker who
can tag in for me. |
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I guess not. Well, when she comes back from Missouri I'll
have her explain it to me again. |
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Nobody ever comes back from Missouri. |
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[MikeD] did. Anyway, Mom's not actually *in* Missouri, she's
just working there. She calls me every night because when
she's off-shift she gets so bloody bored she's actually
entertained by listening to me tell her how many reps I did
on my rehab exercises and how many rejection letters I got
in the mail. |
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