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 today’s 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.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 24 2011 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] 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.-- Alterother, Oct 24 2011 or not...-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 28 2011 I guess not. Well, when she comes back from Missouri I'll have her explain it to me again.-- Alterother, Oct 28 2011 Nobody ever comes back from Missouri.-- swimswim, Oct 28 2011 [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.-- Alterother, Oct 28 2011 random, halfbakery