Klippa / Kai Lin

Kai Lin, a designer in Brooklyn, developed Klippa, a prosthetic leg for rock climbers. He designed it for American veterans who have lost legs, but would like to continue or take up climbing. Standard prosthetic legs are designed for walking and prove inadequate for the needs of climbers.

To make Klippa a functional tool, Lin interviewed climbers and examined how their legs move. He determined that a climber’s leg needs easily replaceable rubber, an elastic pivot point, and a small contact surface with the rock. Animals contributed to the design, too: the foot is shaped like the hoof of a mountain goat — via Neatorama