Hasta La Gadget!

Last week on a visit to Tokyo CultuArt by Beams we were lucky enough to attend the last day of a “supporter” exhibition that was all about transforming medical treatment and limb supports into artwork and fashionable products.

The exhibition ran from February 1st to 20th, 2013 and showcased works by artists which combined leg supports, arm braces and cruches to create inspiring sculptures, photographs and designs. Artists such as GELCHOP, Peloqoon and Slaptone contributed works to the exhibition.

The artwork got us thinking about how injury support aids can add a level of design and customization that people will be more selective and sensitive to buying when they need medical care or have an injury. So far this market has been pretty much ignored and relegated to more depressing color schemes.

Think of the time you broke your wrist skateboarding, twisted your knee skiing, or had your foot run over by a dodgy taxi driver and then had to suffer several weeks with your limb encased in an ugly cast support, or found yourself stumbling around on dull-looking crutches.

Also for anyone unfortunate enough to have had to rent a pair of crutches or a wheel chair from a local hospital in Japan, you know that this can be quite costly. The most popular items in the shop is are colourful crutches on display for 8000 Yen (US$86) each, which may seem a bit expensive but when you think about their long term usage and visual appeal it is a cheaper and more attractive deal than what any hospital can offer.

With more people trying extreme sports and taking adventurous holidays combined with ageing populations worldwide the demand for orthopaedic injury supports is likely to rise. This is definitely an area that is untapped and has a lot of potential.