Tired of following your toddler around lest he tries to imitate the monkey on TV from top of the sofa, or try to do a backflip after watching Kungfu Panda? Enter Toddler Crane, a fall protection system that follows your toddler anywhere in the (one) room. Ever seen the 2D four rail crane systems? Ok it is the same. Now excuse me as I go back to my babysitting job.-- xkuntay, Nov 17 2013 You could use one of these Giant_20grabby_20arm [hippo, Nov 18 2013] All the harm of helicopter parenting with none of the benefits...-- Voice, Nov 17 2013 I did think it could have risks but seemed a good idea at the moment. Maybe the kid can really learn how to backflip tho.-- xkuntay, Nov 18 2013 I think kids should be kept in a habitrail system of tunnels.-- rcarty, Nov 18 2013 There was once an idea from '02 or so called Counter-Ballance World that would be an excellent toddler-watcher-er.
House wide jolly-jumper. (+)-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Nov 18 2013 Hmmmm .....-- 8th of 7, Nov 18 2013 Combine it with a retractible lanyard and you're onto something. We use these things for fall restraint/arrest work - it's very much like a seatbelt retractor but certified and rated and such. Normal movement is fine, but sudden or rapid movement locks it out stopping you from falling. This way the little tyke can't fall from the top of the cupboard and strike the bench either - you just can't fall any distance at all. Being spring retracted, you don't get big loops that you can get caught in and hang, like [21Q] is worried about.
The only trick will be to get the trolley/arm friction low enough that the kid can wander around and have the trolley follow overhead at all times, without the spring tension needing to be so strong as to restrict movement/pick the kid up.
Not that I think this is a good way to raise kids, but the engineering is interesting....-- Custardguts, Nov 21 2013 I think you were meant to read that into //Hmmmm .....//.-- pertinax, Nov 22 2013 random, halfbakery