Klippa by Kai Lin, a design student based in Brooklyn, New York City, is a prosthetic leg made specifically with rock climbers in mind. For those who have the will and determination of Aron Ralston, who continues to lead an active lifestyle even after cutting his own arm off when literally stuck between a rock and a hard spot (watch '127 Hours'), this allows disabled individuals to still indulge their passion for the sport.
Klippa by Kai Lin was born after much research observing and researching rock climbers. Neatorama writes, "He determined that a climber's leg needs easily replaceable rubber, an elastic pivot point, and a small contact surface with the rock." The foot was also inspired by a mountain goat's hoof.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Adaptive Sports Equipment
- Create prosthetics specifically designed for a variety of sports in order to allow individuals with disabilities to participate in an otherwise inaccessible activity.
- Biomimicry
- Explore designs inspired by animals or nature in order to solve problems or create innovative solutions.
- Personalized Medical Devices
- Design devices that are customizable to individual patients and their specific needs to improve the efficacy and comfort of the device.
Where This Applies
- Prosthetics and Orthotics
- Create new prosthetic devices to enable more people with disabilities to participate in sports and other activities.
- Sporting Goods
- Design and market sports equipment specifically designed for people with disabilities.
- Medical Devices
- Develop personalized prosthetic devices that can better satisfy the needs of individual patients.
