A new design for hands free crutches by college student Behzad Rashidizadeh is starting to go viral, being mentioned on sites such as Gizmodo and ABC. Of course, this isn’t the first hands free crutch. But it’s still an innovative design that, if it’s already getting attention at just the design stage, could take off and become an actual usable product someday.

Rashidizadeh came up with the design as part of a class project. His assignment was to design a crutch that worked better than traditional underarm or forearm crutches. Rashidizadeh interviewed classmates who had used crutches and even tried using a traditional pair of crutches himself. He found that the biggest issue with crutches was how they limited the use of one’s hands. So Rashidizadeh set out to make a hands free design.

What he came up with was the Sit & Stand-- a device that would, at least in theory, allow people to walk and do their daily activities without limiting the use of their hands. The Sit & Stand even serves as a personal seat to allow users to rest when they want. As part of the design process, Rashidizadeh built, tested, and successfully used a wooden version of the product.

The Sit & Stand has now been nominated in this year’s James Dyson Competition, an international competition that awards designers who come up with products that “just work better.” To see the design, wooden model, and get all the details on the Sit & Stand, check out Rashidizadeh’s site.