Comfort Crutch! & Xander: 10 years old Harsha: 10 years old Fairfax, Virginia, USA Xander Humleker Harsha Harish (Harsha on left, Xander on right)

Have a great idea for an invention (required step) Unfortunately, some people need to use crutches to walk, because of an injury, disease, or disability. We thought about the benefits and disadvantages of using crutches. The benefit was that it allowed you to be mobile, while taking the stress off of a specific injured body part. Since most people use axillary crutches, where you put the crutch pad against your ribcage under your armpit, the disadvantage is that the crutch pad stabs into your armpit, and that feeling is really weird and painful. So, we decided to try to make using crutches more comfortable.

Investigate inventions and ideas of the past (required step) We searched to see if our invention had already been invented. We found something called Padded Crutch Covers. Although Padded Crutch Covers relieved pain, you couldn’t personalize the comfort level you want it to be at, so we decided to improve their invention by wrapping the cuff of a sphygmomanometer (blood pressure gauge) around the crutch pad. The pump of the sphygmomanometer will inflate the cuff and that will make your armpits way more comfortable. This way the level of puffiness is totally up to you.

Draw pictures and diagrams to show your invention and how it might work. (required step) Sphygmomanometer with cuff, and a pump and a gauge. Axillary Crutch To see our model sketch more clearly, zoom in.

Sketch It! Explanatory The cuff of the blood pressure gauge shown at the top of our model sketch will inflate. The oblique view of the Comfort Crutch! shows how a person would see it from the side angle. The third sketch shows from the front and how to put it so it works. It will help buyers know how it is supposed to work and look. Also we could include instructions and include the sketches with it. We also could give steps on how to set up the Comfort Crutch! inside the instruction kit.

Build your prototype or model of your invention. To successfully build a Comfort Crutch!, we got Xander’s crutches, and Harsha’s sphygmomanometer and wrapped the cuff of the sphygmomanometer around the top part of the crutch that hurts your armpits. And, finally we inflated the cuff, to successfully make the Comfort Crutch! Now that we have explained the procedure to making the Comfort Crutch!, it is your turn to make it. Simply follow our procedure guidelines.

Test your invention. We let one of the special education teachers in our school try Comfort Crutch! because she hurt her foot, and was on crutches. She pumped the cuff to her exact comfort level and compared it to her other crutch. She thought that her arm felt a lot better with Comfort Crutch! In addition, we tried walking with the Comfort Crutch! under one arm, and a regular crutch under the other. We compared how our armpits felt afterwards, and we both agreed that the Comfort Crutch! was way more comfortable than the ordinary crutch. (copy and paste video link on search bar) Y9pUE&list=UUg3Pv6HFpzmSjxRyQOfDl_QpzmSjxRyQOfDl_Q

Keep improving your invention. We realized that the sphygmomanometer gauge sometimes got in the way so we found a way to tie it around the crutch. It was a lot more convenient, when we adjusted the positioning of the gauge. Also we needed a better way to release the air than taking out the gauge. Instead of taking the gauge out, we twisted the knob, attached to the side of the pump, and then, we had to press on the cuff until all the air was removed. Doing these little modifications helped make Comfort Crutch! much better. Also in the future we could add a comfortable place to put your hand. Gauge adjustment

Sell It: Market Your Invention to People Who Might Buy It (required step) Comfort Crutch! Making being on crutches easier, more comfortable and helping you get back to your life. Buy a pair of Comfort Crutch! for only $29.99 USD today! Buy Comfort Crutch! today it’s really worth it and it helps you customize to your comfort needs. Comfort Crutch! ●Helps relieve that nasty arm pain. ●Make being on crutches more comfortable. ●Makes your life easier. ●Revolutionizing crutches!

Stay Healthy, Don’t Get Hurt!!! Even though the Comfort Crutch! helps relieve pain we don’t want people to get hurt. The more sales go up people are getting hurt so hopefully not many people will need them. Stay healthy playing sports and stay safe. Don’t go in being reckless and hurt yourself. Just stay safe and have fun. Always be careful when doing physical activity. Think before you do anything that could potentially hurt you. Don’t do stupid things because your friends are doing it. Just be smart, safe, and remember to Have Fun!!! Thanks, Harsha & Xander