Project Circleg
According to the WHO, around 35-40 million people worldwide need leg prosthesis to enable them to move around independently of outside help. About 80% of these people live in countries with a low average income. Only one in ten affected persons has sufficient financial resources to purchase such a prosthesis. Against this factual background, Project Circleg was initiated by two young Zurich industrial designers with a keen interest in social design and plastics. The project, now driven by a core team of eight as well as numerous external experts and supported by renowned institutions, combines a classic industrial design task – the development and design of a functionally convincing leg prosthesis – with a social concern and a circular economy approach. The high-quality Circleg prosthesis system is made of a reinforced, recycled plastic and is characterized by low weight and good wearability. Its modular design allows for customization and easy replacement of individual components. All components of the prosthesis can be easily recycled again. Regional structures are used or established for the production and distribution of the prosthesis. On the one hand to keep production costs low, on the other hand to avoid long transport routes. Circleg is currently working with partners in Kenya on the implementation of series production.
Comments of the nominators
An extremely exciting project that convincingly applies Circular Design principles and combines them with a strong social approach. The prosthesis suddenly become affordable thanks to modular design and local production, thus enabling “help for self-help”. The modular design of the prostheses supports their longevity.
Comments of the jury
The Circleg project addresses a problem that has received far too little attention for far too long: millions of people around the world are unable to move around independently simply because they lack the means for suitable orthopedic leg prostheses. This alarming finding was the trigger for an ambitious project that combines several goals: the development of a functionally impeccable prosthesis that is also affordable for many people and can be produced according to ecological principles and with the help of regional structures. The makers of the Circleleg project have succeeded – according to our impression – in a gratifying way in meeting the demands they have set themselves. With the help of a cleverly woven ecosystem, they have done everything right, considered everything and developed a convincing solution for all aspects of their complex task – a great achievement!
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